''Laurus novocanariensis'' is a large shrub or tree with aromatic, shiny dark-green foliage. belonging to the

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that ar ...

genus '' Laurus'' of the laurel family,

Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016 ). They are dicotyledons, and occur mai ...

. The genus includes three species, whose diagnostic key characters often overlap.Mabberley 1997 Under favorable conditions it is an impressive tree of 3 to 20 m. tall. It is native of rich soils in the cloud zone of always moist spots in subtropical climate with a high air-humidity, on the Canary and

Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...

islands. The species was formerly included in '' Laurus azorica'', a species that is now restricted to the

Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

Description

The laurel is

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

(

unisexual Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproducti ...

), with male and female

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

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 canary laurel is a vigorous, conical tree. This is a

up to 20 m in height, which can be distinguished by its lanceolate leaves, which have small glands in the angle between the central vein and the lateral veins. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in parti ...

s are ovoid, 1–1.5 cm, and become black when ripe. Evergreen tree that reaches 20 feet tall and highly branched, rather dense canopy, trunk and branches with green to gray, buds are brown. It has fragrant creamy white flowers. It flowers from November to April. The fruit is a berry olive-like seed each. Large, shiny dark green, broadly lanceolate to ovoid leaves. These have a much finer, very exquisite aroma in contrast to the strongly scented leaves of ''

Laurus nobilis ''Laurus nobilis'' is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous (smooth) leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cooking. I ...

''. Easily cultivated in any humus rich, well drained soil in a sunny (winter) to partially shaded (summer) spot. Keep plants slightly drier in winter at a minimum of some 5 °C. Sow small avocado-like seeds in any humus rich, slightly moist soil. Keep at some 20 °C to 20 °C. Germination will start after some 4 to 6 weeks. Keep seedlings cooler, yet frostfree with reduced watering in winter in a sunny spot. The

is small, unisexual, yellowish-white, and arranged in axillary crests. The

is an ovoid berry, black when mature. Leaves have 5 to 17 cm long, petiolate and alternate. Form available variables: ovate elliptic oblong lanceolate ... and leathery, deep green and glossy, more for the beam on the underside. It is a dioecious species, i.e., individuals female, named locally laurel, whose flowers are bearing fruit, like an olive green to black when ripe, and male specimens, named "loro", whose flowers are characterized by having many stamens but produce no fruit. On being a dioecious plant need to fertilize seeds to have in the same population male and female specimens. In the trunks of this species is common to find the

gall Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...

, resulting from the action of a

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

('' Laurobasidium lauri''), also known as ''Madrelouro''.

Distribution

Laurus novocanariensis is a species characteristic of the

laurisilva Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and el ...

forests of

Macaronesia Macaronesia (Portuguese: ''Macaronésia,'' Spanish: ''Macaronesia'') is a collection of four volcanic archipelagos in the North Atlantic, off the coasts of Africa and Europe. Each archipelago is made up of a number of Atlantic oceanic islands ...

, but only native to the archipelagos of

and the western and central

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Mor ...

. It is commonly associated with '' Apollonias barbujana'' and '' Ocotea foetens''. Until 2004 it was considered the same species as '' Laurus azorica'', which is in danger of extinction. Though closely related to the Azorean species, it has significant genetic, morphological and physiological differences from the latter.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q764610 Lauraceae Flora of Madeira Flora of the Canary Islands Endemic flora of Macaronesia Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN