Laurus L.
Dioecious or occasionally ⚥ trees with several trunks, or large shrubs, aromatic, evergreen. Lvs with pinnate venation. Fls in axillary umbels enclosed by a globose involucre of bracts in bud. Perianth with 4 subequal segments, not accrescent or forming a tube enclosing fr. Stamens usually 12 in 3-4 whorls; filaments each with a stipitate gland on each side, rarely stamens of outermost 2 rows eglandular; anthers 2-valved, introrse. ♀ fls often with 4 staminodes. Style short. Fr. a berry, seated on scarcely enlarged calyx tube; skin single-layered.
2 spp., 1 Mediterranean, 1 Macaronesia. Naturalised sp. 1.
