Neolitsea
Encyclopedia
Neolitsea is a genus of 80 species of evergreen
shrub
and small tree
in the laurel family Lauraceae
. They range from tropical Asia
, Malesia
to Australia
. The leaves are alternate and gathered in pseudowhorls.
The Australian species, of which there are three, are commonly known as bolly gums and are fairly common in the rainforest
s of the east.
Selected species
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...
shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
and small 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...
in 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...
. They range from tropical Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Malesia
Malesia
Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the boundaries of the Indomalaya ecozone and Australasia ecozone, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom.-Floristic province:...
to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The leaves are alternate and gathered in pseudowhorls.
The Australian species, of which there are three, are commonly known as bolly gums and are fairly common in the rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s of the east.
Selected species
- Neolitsea aciculata - tree up to 10m; Japan, Korea
- Neolitsea australiensisNeolitsea australiensisNeolitsea australiensis, also known as the Green Bolly Gum, is an Australian rainforest tree, in the laurel family. The specific epithet is derived from "Australia", and the Latin "ensis"; meaning "native of Australia".-Description:...
- Australia, Green bolly gum - Neolitsea cassia - Sri Lanka
- Neolitsea dealbataNeolitsea dealbataNeolitsea dealbata, also known as Hairy-leaved Bolly Gum, is a shrub or tree, in the family Lauraceae, which is native to Australia.-Description:...
- Australia, tree to 12m, Hairy-leaved bolly gum - Neolitsea sericea - tree up to 15m; Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China