What is "gordonia lasianthus"

Loblolly \Lob"lol`ly\, n. [Etymol. uncertain.] Gruel; porridge; -- so called among seamen.

Loblolly bay (Bot.), an elegant white-flowered evergreen shrub or small tree, of the genus Gordonia ( Gordonia Lasianthus), growing in the maritime parts of the Southern United States. Its bark is sometimes used in tanning. Also, a similar West Indian tree ( Laplacea h[ae]matoxylon).

Loblolly boy, a surgeon's attendant on shipboard.
--Smollett.

Loblolly pine (Bot.), a kind of pitch pine found from Delaware southward along the coast; old field pine ( Pinus T[ae]da). Also, Pinus Bahamensis, of the West Indies.

Loblolly tree (Bot.), a name of several West Indian trees, having more or less leathery foliage, but alike in no other respect; as Pisonia subcordata, Cordia alba, and Cupania glabra.

Gordonia lasianthus, loblolly-bay, holly-bay, gordonia, or bay, is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree or shrub found in acid, swampy soils of pinelands and bays on the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains of the southeastern United States. It is a member of the Tea or Theaceae family. It is slow growing with soft, light-colored(Varies in color from Cream to Carmine), fine-grained wood of little commercial value, although loblolly-bay could be managed as a source of pulpwood. When older specimens are cut, the wood exudes a strong scent. It is similar to a mixture of fresh oranges and pine sap. The bark of the adult tree varies from medium grey to a red brown coloration. Dead adult specimens of loblolly bay exhibit a lustorous shine when exposed to sunlight for several years. The white showy flowers and shiny foliage make it a desirable ornamental, but it is not easy to cultivate. Deer browse stump sprouts heavily.