|
Laurus nobilis L., Sp. Pl. 369 1753. ;
.
Laurus nobilis is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is one of the plants used for bay leaf seasoning in cooking. It is known as bay laurel, sweet bay, bay tree (esp. United Kingdom), true laurel, Grecian laurel,[1] laurel tree or simply laurel. Laurus nobilis figures prominently in classical Greek, Roman, and Biblical culture. Worldwide, many other kinds of plants in diverse families are also called “bay” or “laurel”, generally due to similarity of foliage or aroma to Laurus nobilis, and the full name is used for the California bay laurel (Umbellularia), also in the family Lauraceae.
The laurel can vary greatly in size and height, sometimes reaching 10–18 metres (33–59 ft) tall. Laurus is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes three species, whose diagnostic key characters often overlap (Mabberley 1997).
The laurel is dioecious , with male and female flowers on separate plants.[2] Each flower is pale yellow-green, about 1 cm diameter, and they are borne in pairs beside a leaf. The leaves are 6–12 cm long and 2–4 cm broad, with an entire (untoothed) margin. On some leaves the margin undulates.[2] The fruit is a small, shiny black berry-like drupe about 1 cm long[2] that contains one seed.[3]
The plant is the source of several popular herbs and one spice used in a wide variety of recipes, particularly among Mediterranean cuisines.[2] Most commonly, the aromatic leaves are added whole to Italian pasta sauces. However, even when cooked, whole bay leaves can be sharp and abrasive enough to damage internal organs,[citation needed] so they are typically removed from dishes before serving, unless used as a simple garnish.[5] Whole bay leaves have a long shelf life of about one year, under normal temperature and humidity.[5] Bay leaves are used almost exclusively as flavor agents during the food preparation stage;
Ground bay leaves, however, can be ingested safely and are often used in soups and stocks, as well as being a common addition to a Bloody Mary.[5] Dried laurel berries and pressed leaf oil can both be used as robust spices, and even the wood can be burnt for strong smoke flavoring.[5] Aqueous extracts of bay laurel can also be used as astringents and even as a reasonable salve for open wounds.[6] In massage therapy, the essential oil of bay laurel is reputed to alleviate arthritis and rheumatism, while in aromatherapy, it is used to treat earaches and high blood pressure.[7][unreliable source?] A traditional folk remedy for rashes caused by poison ivy, poison oak, and stinging nettle is a poultice soaked in boiled bay leaves.[8] The chemical compound lauroside B isolated from Laurus nobilis is an inhibitor of human melanoma (skin cancer) cell proliferation at high concentrations.[9]
Piperaceae, Lauraceae and Thymelaeaceae Fortnight: Lauraceae-Laurus nobilis from California -GSSEP12 : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (2).
Laurus nobilis L., bay laurel, sweet bay, photographed from Sunnyvale California. Commonly planted along roadsides here in California. Is it the same species known as bay leaf and used as spice?
Yes …, this one of the species whose leaves are sold under bay leaf and used as spice. in India we have Cinnamomum tamala (tej pata), the Indian Bay leaf .     SK 3374 29 March 2022: 4 very high res. images. Location: National History Museum, London
Altitude: 10m.
Date: 27 March 2022
Habit : Cultivated Laurus nobilis. .
Yes, appears close to images and references at .
Am posting some photos taken in early April of a male L.Nobilis growing in my lawn.
Habitat: Cultivated. Introduced a few decades back but not very common,
Habit: Evergreen tree with very fragrant leaves. Said to grow up to a height of 20 meters. The leaves called Bay leaves are used in European cuisine just like the leaves of Tej Pat (of the same family) are used in Indian Cuisine.
An interesting feature of the inflorescence that I noticed is that the peripheral flowers open early but a central flower remains a bud or rarely opens at a very late stage (See Photos).
The anthers have characteristic paired nectaries at base of the inner whorl of anthers (See photo). All photos under CCLicense(Atrribution only required)
. References: |
Disclaimer
1. For any mistake in identification or for becoming efloraofindia e-group member (for contributing towards building of efloraofindia or otherwise), pl. mail to indiantreepix@googlegroups.com or itpmods@googlegroups.com
2. For better viewing of species’ pages, colour scheme & formatting is being followed as: Description of the species, Details of other flora species on the same page, Uses/ harms, Distribution, Abundance/ Location/ Flowering time & date, Habit & habitat, Etymology & pronunciation, Other interesting information, stories etc., Others, Botanical names, Common names, Main point of discussion below, Discussion about Botanical names.
Navigation
- Award for eFloraofIndia
- Colour scheme & formatting
- Copyrights, Permissions, Citations
- eFloraofIndia appreciated
- Names of Plants in India site
- Flowersofindia site
- Posting Guidelines
- For members’ information
- Logo, Tagline, Acronym
- Volunteers required
- ‘Pitamah’ of eFloraofIndia
- ‘अजेय’ ‘Ajey’ of eFloraofIndia
- ‘Saarthi’ ‘सारथि’ of eFloraofIndia
- ‘Jewel’ of eFloraofIndia
- ‘Grassman’ of eFloraofIndia
Follow us
