Laurus

Laurus

taxobox
name = "Laurus"



image_caption = "Laurus novocanariensis" forest, Los Tilos, La Palma
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Magnoliids
ordo = Laurales
familia = Lauraceae
genus = "Laurus"
genus_authority = L.
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "Laurus azorica" Azores Laurel "Laurus nobilis" Bay Laurel "Laurus novocanariensis" Madeira and Canary Laurel|
:"This article is about the Laurus tree. For information on the church hierarch, see "Metropolitan Laurus".

"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).

*"Laurus azorica" (Seub.) Franco, syn. "L. canariensis" Webb & Berth. Known as Azores Laurel, or by the Portuguese names "Louro, Loureiro, Louro-da-terra", and "Louro-de-cheiro", is native to the laurisilva forests of the Azores.
*"Laurus nobilis" L., known commonly as Bay Laurel, True Laurel, Sweet Bay, Grecian Laurel, or simply Laurel, is the source of the spice Bay leaf. It was also the source of the Laurel wreath of ancient Greece. It is distributed across the Mediterranean region from Spain to Greece.
*"Laurus novocanariensis" Rivas Mart., Lousã, Fern. Prieto, E.Díaz, J.C. Costa & C. Aguiar, formerly included in "L.azorica", and also known as the same portuguese names as "L. azorica", is native to the laurisilva forests of Madeira Islands and Canary Islands, and also locally in Morocco.

Fossils dating from before the ice ages show that species of "Laurus" were formerly distributed more widely around the Mediterranean and North Africa, when the climate was more humid and mild than at present. It is currently thought that the drying of the Mediterranean basin during the ice ages caused "Laurus" to retreat to the mildest climate refuges, including southern Spain, Portugal and the Macaronesian islands. With the end of the last ice age, "L. nobilis" recovered some of its former range around the Mediterranean.

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 France and Italy [Arroyo-Garcia et al 2001] .

References

*Arroyo-García, R., Martínez-Zapater, J.M., Fernández Prieto, J.A., & Álvarez-Arbesú R. (2001). AFLP evaluation of genetic similarity among laurel populations. "Euphytica" 122 (1): 155-164.
*Barbero, M., Benabid, A., Peyre, C. & Quezel, P. (1981). Sur la presence au Maroc de "Laurus azorica" (Seub.) Franco. "Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid" 37 (2): 467-472. Available [http://www.rjb.csic.es/pdfs/Anales_37(2)_467_472.pdf online] (pdf file; in French).
*Costa, J. C., Capelo, J., Jardim, R., Sequeira, M., (2004). Catálogo Florístico do Arquipélago da Madeira. "Quercetea" 6, 187-200.
*Mabberley, D.J (1997). The Plant Book: a Portable Dictionary of the Vascular Plants. Second edition, pp. 393-394.

External links

* [http://www.horta.uac.pt/species/plantae/Laurus_azorica/Laurus_azorica.htm Photos of "L. azorica"]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Laurus — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Laurus (homonymie) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • LAURUS — scientiae symbolum, ob non unam rationem; Unde quibusdam arbor ea credita, in qua primi nostri Progenitores peccârunt, vide Fortun. Licet. l. de Gemmis Annularibus c. 25. p. 62. Proin et vaticinii typus habita, quam ob causam vaticinantes Lauro… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Laurus — Lau rus, n. [L., laurel.] (Bot.) A genus of trees including, according to modern authors, only the true laurel ({Laurus nobilis}), and the larger {Laurus Canariensis} of Madeira and the Canary Islands. Formerly the sassafras, the camphor tree,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Laurus — bezeichnet: Laurus (Metropolit) (1928–2008), Oberhaupt der russisch orthodoxen Auslandskirche sowie eine Gattung aus der Familie der Lorbeergewächse, siehe Lorbeeren einen italienischen Hersteller von E Bässen namens Pierluigi Cazzola, siehe… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Laurus — (L. L.), Lorbeer, Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Laurineen, 1. Ordn. 9. Kl. L.; Arten: L. benzoin (Benzoin odorifera Nees), auch bei uns im Freien dauernder Baum, mit zierlichen, gelben Blüthen, sonst wegen des ähnlichen Geruchs der Blätter… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Laurus — L., Gattung der Laurazeen, immergrüne Bäume mit lederigen, wechselständigen Blättern, achselständigen, gestielten, doldigen Blütenständen, diözischen Blüten und ovaler, von der fast scheibenförmigen Perigonbasis getragener Beere. Zwei Arten, von… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Laurus — Laurus, der Lorbeer (s.d.), L. persea L., s. Persea; L. tinus, s. Viburnum …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • laurus — sm. Mt žr. 1 lauras 1 …   Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language

  • Laurus —   Laurus …   Wikipedia Español

  • Laurus — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Laurus (homonymie). Laurier …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”