Lauraceae
Sign in to savethumb|190px|Cassytha filiformis thumb|190px|Leaves of Cinnamomum tamala - (malabathrum or tejpat)thumb|190px|Lindera|Lindera triloba leaves
AI overview
Lauraceae is a family of plants that includes important spice and flavoring plants like cinnamon and bay leaf, as well as various trees and shrubs found in tropical and subtropical regions. These plants matter because they provide valuable culinary ingredients and other products that have been used for centuries in cooking and traditional practices around the world.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Taxonomy · GBIF
FAMILY
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderLaurales
- FamilyLauraceae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
10 sectionsContents
- Overview
- Description
- Distribution and uses
- Ecology
- Classification
- Phytochemistry
- Genera
- Popular culture
- References
- Further reading
thumb|190px|Cassytha filiformis thumb|190px|Leaves of Cinnamomum tamala - (malabathrum or tejpat)thumb|190px|Lindera|Lindera triloba leaves
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. They are dicotyledons, and occur mainly in warm temperate and tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America. Many are aromatic evergreen trees or shrubs, but some, such as Sassafras, are deciduous, or include both deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs, especially in tropical and temperate climates. The genus Cassytha is unique in the Lauraceae in that its members are parasitic vines. Many species within the laurel family are highly toxic; however, some, such as the avocado (Persea americana), are edible and widely consumed. Members of the laurel family have played a significant role in the spice trade, particularly genera like Cinnamomum, which produce aromatic oils used extensively in cooking, perfumery, and traditional medicine.