Laurus azorica
Encyclopedia
Laurus azorica is a species of plant
in the Lauraceae
family, related to laurus nobilis. It is a member of the genus Laurus and is commonly known as Azores Laurel. Laurus
is a genus of evergreen
tree
s belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae
. The genus includes three species, whose diagnostic key characters often overlap (Mabberley 1997).It is a small aromatic tree.
It is native to the laurisilva
forests of the Azores
, Madeira
, the Canary Islands
in Macaronesia
, and in Morocco
. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The azores laurel is a vigorous, conical tree that can vary greatly in size and height, sometimes reaching 10 – tall. This species is very similar to Laurus novocanariensis
. On grounds of a recent taxonomic change Laurus azorica is now restricted to the archipelago of the Azores, whereas former populations of this species from the western Canary islands including Gran Canaria as well as from the Madeira archipelago have been described as a new species, namely Laurus novocanariensis.
The laurel is dioecious (unisexual), with male and female flower
s on separate plants. Each flower is fragrant creamy white flower, about 1 cm diameter, and they are born in pairs beside a leaf.
The leaves are large, shiny dark green, broadly ovoid leaves, 7–14 cm long and 4-8 cm broad, with a whole margin. The fruit
is a black berry about 1-2 cm long.
A recent study found that native stands classified as L. nobilis in northern Spain shared greater genetic and morphological similarity to L. azorica than to populations of L. nobilis native to rest of Spain, France
and Italy
[Arroyo-Garcia et al. 2001]. This populations like the Cortegada Island
population, in Galicia
, famous for its large grove of laurels, come from seeds dispersed by birds but is not indigenous to the island, as this islander forest originated spontaneously from laurel specimens that were planted after the original vegetation was destroyed.
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
in the Lauraceae
Lauraceae
The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...
family, related to laurus nobilis. It is a member of the genus Laurus and is commonly known as Azores Laurel. Laurus
Laurus
-Overview:Laurus is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes three species, whose diagnostic key characters often overlap ....
is a genus of evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae
Lauraceae
The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...
. The genus includes three species, whose diagnostic key characters often overlap (Mabberley 1997).It is a small aromatic tree.
It is native to the laurisilva
Laurisilva
Laurisilva or laurissilva is a subtropical forest, found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable and mild temperatures. They are characterised by evergreen, glossy-leaved tree species that look alike with leaves of lauroide type...
forests of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
in Macaronesia
Macaronesia
Macaronesia is a modern collective name for several groups of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean near Europe and North Africa belonging to three countries: Portugal, Spain, and Cape Verde...
, and in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The azores laurel is a vigorous, conical tree that can vary greatly in size and height, sometimes reaching 10 – tall. This species is very similar to Laurus novocanariensis
Laurus novocanariensis
Laurus novocanariensis is a evergreen large shrub or tree with aromatic, shiny dark-green foliage. belonging to Laurus genus of evergreen trees belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes three species, whose diagnostic key characters often overlap . Under favorable conditions it...
. On grounds of a recent taxonomic change Laurus azorica is now restricted to the archipelago of the Azores, whereas former populations of this species from the western Canary islands including Gran Canaria as well as from the Madeira archipelago have been described as a new species, namely Laurus novocanariensis.
The laurel is dioecious (unisexual), with male and female flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s on separate plants. Each flower is fragrant creamy white flower, about 1 cm diameter, and they are born in pairs beside a leaf.
The leaves are large, shiny dark green, broadly ovoid leaves, 7–14 cm long and 4-8 cm broad, with a whole margin. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is a black berry about 1-2 cm long.
A recent study found that native stands classified as L. nobilis in northern Spain shared greater genetic and morphological similarity to L. azorica than to populations of L. nobilis native to rest of Spain, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
[Arroyo-Garcia et al. 2001]. This populations like the Cortegada Island
Cortegada Island
Cortegada is an island in the coast of Pontevedra in Galicia, Spain. It is part of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park.Originally a village of the municipally of O Carril , it was offered as a present to King Alfonso XIII at the start of XX century, then sold to a private company...
population, in Galicia
Galicia
-Geographic regions:* Galicia , an autonomous community in northwestern Spain** Gallaecia, a province of the Roman Empire** Kingdom of Galicia, a medieval kingdom**Nueva Galicia :*** Nueva Galicia, a region of New Spain, now in Mexico...
, famous for its large grove of laurels, come from seeds dispersed by birds but is not indigenous to the island, as this islander forest originated spontaneously from laurel specimens that were planted after the original vegetation was destroyed.
Source
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. Laurus azorica. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 22 August 2007.