What is the Lauraceae plant family?

The Lauraceae, or laurel family, is a group of flowering plants in the order Laurales, made up of roughly 50 genera and over 2,500 species of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs. They are typically found in tropical and subtropical climates, especially in Southeast Asia and tropical America, particularly Brazil. Many trees in this family are economically important. Some examples include avocado , cinnamon , and bay laurel , as well as valuable timber trees. The wood from these trees can remain fragrant for decades after being cut.

What types of plants are included in the Lauraceae family?

The Lauraceae family, also known as the laurel family, contains approximately 50 genera and more than 2,500 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. This plant family can be found in tropical and subtropical regions, especially in Southeast Asia and tropical America, specifically Brazil. Some economically significant plants in the Lauraceae family include avocado , cinnamon , and bay laurel , as well as valuable timber trees. Genera within this family include Ocotea , Litsea , Cryptocarya , Cinnamomum , Persea , and Beilschmiedia .

Where are Lauraceae plants commonly found in the world?

The Lauraceae , or laurel family, includes approximately 50 genera and over 2,500 species of evergreen shrubs and trees. These plants are typically found in tropical and subtropical climates, with a high concentration in Southeast Asia and tropical America, especially Brazil. Within Lauraceae, the genera Ocotea , Litsea , Cryptocarya , and Cinnamomum are the most abundant. Cinnamomum is found widely across major tropical and subtropical regions. Other species such as Lindera are found in North America, while Laurus is native to the Mediterranean.

What are some well-known examples of Lauraceae plants?

The Lauraceae family has roughly 50 genera and more than 2,500 species of evergreen trees and shrubs, many of which are economically significant. Well-known examples of plants in the Lauraceae family include: * Avocado ( Persea americana ) is a nutritious fruit with several cultivars. * Cinnamon is a spice derived from the inner bark of Cinnamomum zeylanicum . * Bay laurel ( Laurus nobilis ) is a fragrant evergreen species whose leaves are the source of the cooking herb bay leaf. * Sassafras ( Sassafras albidum ) is a North American tree with aromatic leaves, bark, and root.

How do Lauraceae plants help humans and the environment?

The Lauraceae family, with over 2,500 species, offers various benefits to humans and the environment. Economically, it includes trees such as avocado, cinnamon, and bay, which are important for food and spices. Avocado ( Persea americana ) stands out as a nutritious fruit, rich in proteins, fats, and vitamins. Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum zeylanicum ) is used as a spice and to alleviate stomach upset, while camphor ( Cinnamomum camphora ) is valued for its oils used in pharmaceuticals and perfumes. Many Lauraceae species have aromatic oils in their wood and bark. However, overexploitation has depleted some of the best-known timbers of Lauraceae. Sustainable conservation efforts are needed to ensure these benefits continue.

What special features or adaptations do Lauraceae plants have for survival?

Lauraceae plants, numbering over 2,500 species, are mostly aromatic evergreen trees and shrubs that thrive in tropical and subtropical climates. Key adaptations include: * Aromatic oils Leaves, wood, and bark contain ethereal oil cells, lending an aromatic quality that may deter herbivores. * Leaf structure Leathery, evergreen leaves that are alternately arranged or whorled. * Floral traits Flowers with parts in multiples of three, undifferentiated perianths, and stamens with nectar-producing appendages. * Fruit features Fleshy, single-seed fruits (drupes or berries) often with a cupule, and seeds with large embryos. * Specialized pollen Pollen grains with reduced exine that are either without apertures or have two apertures.

Lauraceae

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Images

Branches of a sassafras tree, Sassafras albidum, with green leaves and a few leaves turning orange.

Close-up of bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) with glossy, elongated green leaves and small yellow buds on woody stems.

A whole avocado and an avocado sliced in half, showing the large pit, or seed, inside.

Quick Facts

Related Topics:: Cassytha; Cryptocarya; Sassafras; Persea; Ocotea

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sassafras Sassafras (*Sassafras albidum*), a member of the laurel family (Lauraceae).

Lauraceae

plant family

Also known as: laurel family

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

Top Questions

What is the Lauraceae plant family?
The Lauraceae, or laurel family, is a group of flowering plants in the order Laurales, made up of roughly 50 genera and over 2,500 species of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs. They are typically found in tropical and subtropical climates, especially in Southeast Asia and tropical America, particularly Brazil.

Many trees in this family are economically important. Some examples include avocado, cinnamon, and bay laurel, as well as valuable timber trees. The wood from these trees can remain fragrant for decades after being cut.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Lauraceae
2. Laurales: Lauraceae
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What types of plants are included in the Lauraceae family?
The Lauraceae family, also known as the laurel family, contains approximately 50 genera and more than 2,500 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. This plant family can be found in tropical and subtropical regions, especially in Southeast Asia and tropical America, specifically Brazil.

Some economically significant plants in the Lauraceae family include avocado, cinnamon, and bay laurel, as well as valuable timber trees. Genera within this family include Ocotea, Litsea, Cryptocarya, Cinnamomum, Persea, and Beilschmiedia.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Lauraceae
2. Laurales: Lauraceae
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where are Lauraceae plants commonly found in the world?
The Lauraceae, or laurel family, includes approximately 50 genera and over 2,500 species of evergreen shrubs and trees. These plants are typically found in tropical and subtropical climates, with a high concentration in Southeast Asia and tropical America, especially Brazil.

Within Lauraceae, the genera Ocotea, Litsea, Cryptocarya, and Cinnamomum are the most abundant. Cinnamomum is found widely across major tropical and subtropical regions. Other species such as Lindera are found in North America, while Laurus is native to the Mediterranean.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Lauraceae
2. Laurales: Distribution and abundance
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some well-known examples of Lauraceae plants?
The Lauraceae family has roughly 50 genera and more than 2,500 species of evergreen trees and shrubs, many of which are economically significant.

Well-known examples of plants in the Lauraceae family include:
* Avocado (Persea americana) is a nutritious fruit with several cultivars.
* Cinnamon is a spice derived from the inner bark of Cinnamomum zeylanicum.
* Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) is a fragrant evergreen species whose leaves are the source of the cooking herb bay leaf.
* Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is a North American tree with aromatic leaves, bark, and root.
7 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do Lauraceae plants help humans and the environment?
The Lauraceae family, with over 2,500 species, offers various benefits to humans and the environment. Economically, it includes trees such as avocado, cinnamon, and bay, which are important for food and spices.

Avocado (Persea americana) stands out as a nutritious fruit, rich in proteins, fats, and vitamins. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is used as a spice and to alleviate stomach upset, while camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) is valued for its oils used in pharmaceuticals and perfumes. Many Lauraceae species have aromatic oils in their wood and bark.

However, overexploitation has depleted some of the best-known timbers of Lauraceae. Sustainable conservation efforts are needed to ensure these benefits continue.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Lauraceae
2. Laurales: Lauraceae
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What special features or adaptations do Lauraceae plants have for survival?
Lauraceae plants, numbering over 2,500 species, are mostly aromatic evergreen trees and shrubs that thrive in tropical and subtropical climates.

Key adaptations include:
* Aromatic oils Leaves, wood, and bark contain ethereal oil cells, lending an aromatic quality that may deter herbivores.
* Leaf structure Leathery, evergreen leaves that are alternately arranged or whorled.
* Floral traits Flowers with parts in multiples of three, undifferentiated perianths, and stamens with nectar-producing appendages.
* Fruit features Fleshy, single-seed fruits (drupes or berries) often with a cupule, and seeds with large embryos.
* Specialized pollen Pollen grains with reduced exine that are either without apertures or have two apertures.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Lauraceae, the laurel family of flowering plants (order Laurales), comprising some 50 genera and more than 2,500 species of mostly evergreen shrubs and trees. Lauraceae is distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions; principally Southeast Asia and tropical America, particularly Brazil. The family contains a number of economically important trees, including avocado, cinnamon, bay, and a variety of valuable timber trees, the wood of which sometimes remains fragrant for decades after it is cut.

Physical characteristics

Bay laurelThe aromatic leaves of bay laurel (*Laurus nobilis*).

The vast majority of species of Lauraceae differ from other Laurales members in possessing leaves that are alternately arranged or whorled, although a few have opposite leaves. The leaves of Lauraceae are usually leathery and evergreen with numerous essential oil cavities, which accounts for the aromatic nature of many species. Most of the species also have aromatic oil in the wood and bark.

The generally small green, yellow, or white flowers are usually arranged in clusters, and the floral parts develop in multiples of three. The perianth is not differentiated into sepals and petals. There are between 3 and 12 stamens per flower, and the filament of each stamen often has paired nectar-producing appendages attached near the base. Stamens may have two (Beilschmiedia) or four (Litsea) pollen sacs; the pollen decays readily and thus is seldom found in the fossil record.

Major genera and species

camphor laurel Camphor, an isoprenoid compound classified as a terpenoid ketone, is used in incense and certain medicinal compounds. It is a natural substance obtained from the camphor laurel (*Cinnamomum camphora*), a species of evergreen.

The majority of Lauraceae species occur in only 7 genera: Ocotea has about 400 species in tropical America, South Africa, and the Mascarene Islands; Litsea has more than 200 species in Asia, Australasia, and America; Cryptocarya and Cinnamomum (the source of camphor and the spices cinnamon and cassia) contain about 350 and 250 species, respectively; neotropical Nectandra features some 225 species; Persea (including the avocado plant) has about 100 species; and Beilschmiedia contains about 250 species throughout many tropical regions as well as Australia and New Zealand. Persea and Cryptocarya are found in many tropical regions, and Cinnamomum is widely distributed in all the major tropical and subtropical regions. The roughly 100 species of the largely tropical and subtropical genus Lindera include the North American spicebush (L. benzoin).

Laurus (laurel) consists of two species, one of which is L. nobilis (sweet bay tree, or bay laurel), a native of the Mediterranean. The leaves of the bay laurel were once formed into laurel crowns by the ancient Greeks. The genus Sassafras contains three extant species, including the North American S. albidum used as a flavouring and in herbal medicine. Greenheart (Chlorocardium rodiei), also called bebeeru, is a valuable South American timber tree and one of two species in the genus.

Cassytha, a rootless vinelike stem parasite with vestigial scalelike leaves, is the most unusual member of the family; the genus contains more than 20 species native to the Old World.

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