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Laurus nobilis

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Medicinal Plants of the World

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Abstract

A small evergreen tree of the LAURACEAE family. It is a hardy multi-branched tree with smooth bark that grows to about 10 m high. The leaves are glossy dark green lanceolate, alternate, acuminate at both ends and about 10 cm long. They are short-petioled and their margins are often sinuate and coriaceous and emit a sweet balsamic scent when bruised. The flowers are in axillary bushy umbels or short racemous panicles. They are dioecious, whitish-green, with 4 petals fused at the base. The male flower usually has 10–12 stamens, the female has 4 staminoids. The ovary is short-stemmed with 1 chamber with a hanging ovule, a short style and a triangular obtuse stigma. The fruit develops on the stem into deepblack 2 cm long ovate berries.

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Ross, I.A. (2001). Laurus nobilis. In: Medicinal Plants of the World. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-237-1_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-237-1_13

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

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