Worldwide, many other kinds of plants in diverse families are also called "bay" or "laurel", generally due to similarity of foliage or aroma toLaurus nobilis.
A laurel shrubLaurus nobilis in potLaurus nobilis in bloom
The laurel is anevergreen shrub or smalltree, variable in size and sometimes reaching 7–18 m (23–59 ft) tall.[4] The genusLaurus includes three accepted species,[6] whose diagnostic key characters often overlap.[7]
The bay laurel isdioecious (unisexual), with male and femaleflowers on separate plants.[8] Each flower is pale yellow-green, about 1 cm (3⁄8 in) diameter, and they are borne in pairs beside a leaf. The leaves are glabrous, 6–12 cm (2–5 in) long and2–4 cm (3⁄4–1+5⁄8 in) broad, with anentire (untoothed) margin. On some leaves the margin undulates.[8] Thefruit is a small, shiny black drupe-like berry[9][10] about1 cm (3⁄8 in) long[8] that contains one seed.[11][4]
Laurus nobilis is a widespreadrelict of thelaurel forests that originally covered much of theMediterranean Basin when the climate of the region was more humid. With the drying of the Mediterranean during thePliocene era, the laurel forests gradually retreated, and were replaced by the more drought-tolerantsclerophyll plant communities familiar today. Most of the last remaining laurel forests around the Mediterranean are believed to have disappeared approximately ten thousand years ago, although some remnants still persist in the mountains of southernTurkey, northernSyria, southernSpain, north-centralPortugal, northernMorocco, theCanary Islands and inMadeira.[citation needed]
The plant is the source of several popularherbs and onespice used in a wide variety of recipes, particularly among Mediterranean cuisines.[8] Most commonly, the aromaticleaves are added whole to Italianpasta sauces. They are typically removed from dishes before serving, although they may also be used as a simplegarnish. Whole bay leaves have a longshelf life of about one year, under normal temperature and humidity. Whole bay leaves are used almost exclusively as flavor agents during the food preparation stage. Ground bay leaves, however, can be ingested safely and are often used insoups andstocks, as well as being a common addition to aBloody Mary. Dried laurel berries and pressed leaf oil can both be used as robust spices, and the wood can be burnt for strongsmoke flavoring.[12]
Laurus nobilis is widely cultivated as anornamental plant in regions withMediterranean oroceanic climates, and as a house plant or greenhouse plant in colder regions. It is used intopiary to create single erect stems with ball-shaped, box-shaped or twisted crowns; also for low hedges. However, it is slow-growing and may take several years to reach the desired height.[13] Together with a gold form,L. nobilis 'Aurea'[14] and a willow-leaved formL. nobilis f.angustifolia,[15] it has gained theRoyal Horticultural Society'sAward of Garden Merit.[16]
One of the most important pests affecting ornamental laurels is caused by thejumping plant louseTrioza alacris, which induces the curling and thickening of the edge of the leaves for the development of the insect'snymphs, eventually creating a necrosedgall.[17] The species is also affected by thescale insectCoccus hesperidum.[17]
InGreek, the plant is calledδάφνηdáphnē, after the mythic mountain nymphof the same name. In the myth ofApollo and Daphne, the godApollo fell in love with Daphne, a priestess ofGaia (Mother Earth), and when he tried to seduce her she pleaded for help to Gaia, who transported her toCrete. In Daphne's place Gaia left a laurel tree, from which Apollo fashionedwreaths to console himself.[22]
Other versions of the myth, including that of the Roman poetOvid, state that Daphne was transformed directly into a laurel tree.[23]
Bay laurel was used to fashion thelaurel wreath ofancient Greece, a symbol of highest status. A wreath of bay laurels was given as the prize at thePythian Games because the games were in honor of Apollo, and the laurel was one of his symbols. According to the poetLucian, the priestess of Apollo known as thePythia reputedly chewed laurel leaves from a sacred tree growing inside the temple to induce theenthusiasmos (trance) from which she uttered the oracular prophecies for which she was famous.[24] Some accounts starting in the fourth century BC describe her as shaking alaurel branch while delivering her prophecies. Those who received promising omens from the Pythia were crowned with laurel wreaths as a symbol of Apollo's favor.[25]
The symbolism carried over toRoman culture, which held the laurel as a symbol of victory.[26] It was also associated with immortality,[27] with ritual purification, prosperity and health.[28][29] It is also the source of the wordsbaccalaureate andpoet laureate, as well as the expressions "assume the laurel" and "resting on one's laurels".[citation needed]
Pliny the Elder stated that the laurel was not permitted for "profane" uses – lighting it on fire at altars "for the propitiation of divinities" was strictly forbidden, because "it is very evident that the laurel protests against such usage by crackling as it does in the fire, thus, in a manner, giving expression to its abhorrence of such treatment".[30]
Laurel was closely associated with the Roman Emperors, beginning withAugustus. Two Laurel trees flanked the entrance to Augustus' house on thePalatine Hill in Rome, which itself was connected to theTemple of Apollo Palatinus, which Augustus had built. Thus, the laurels had the dual purpose of advertising Augustus' victory in the Civil Wars and his close association with Apollo.[28]Suetonius relates the story of Augustus' wife, and Rome's first Empress,Livia, who planted a sprig of laurel on the grounds of hervilla atPrima Porta after an eagle dropped a hen with the sprig clutched in its beak onto her lap.[31] The sprig grew into a full-size tree which fostered an entire grove of laurel trees, which were in turn added to by subsequent Emperors when they celebrated atriumph. The emperors in theJulio-Claudian dynasty all sourced theirLaurel wreaths from the original tree planted by Livia. It was taken as an omen of the impending end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty that in the reign ofNero the entire grove died, shortly before he was assassinated.[31] Rome's second EmperorTiberius wore wreaths of laurel whenever there was stormy weather because it was widely believed that Laurel trees were immune to lightning strikes, affording protection to those who brandished it.[32][33][29] One reason for this belief is because laurel crackles loudly when on fire. It led ancient Romans to believe the plant was inhabited by a "heavenly firedemon", and was therefore "immune" from outer threats like fire or lightning.[32]
In modern Italy, laurel wreaths are worn as a crown by graduating school students.[34]
An early Chineseetiological myth for thephases of the moon involved a great forest or tree which quickly grew and lost its leaves and flowers every month. After theSui andTangdynasties, this was sometimes connected to a woodsman namedWu Gang, sentenced to cut at a self-repairing tree as a punishment for varying offenses. The tree was originally identified as a桂 (guì) and described in the terms of theosmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans, now known in Chinese as the桂花 or "gui flower"), whose blossoms are still used to flavorwine and confections for theMid-Autumn Festival. However, in English, it is often associated with the more well-knowncassia (Cinnamomum cassia, now known in Chinese as the肉桂 or "meatgui") while, in modern Chinese, it has instead become associated with the Mediterranean laurel. By theQing dynasty, thechengyu "pluck osmanthus in theToad Palace" (蟾宫折桂,Chángōng zhé guì) meant passing theimperial examinations,[35][36][37] which were held around the time of the lunar festival. The similar association in Europe of laurels with victory and success led to its translation into Chinese as the月桂 or "Moongui".[citation needed]
The laurel leaves in the right side of the coat of arms ofKaskinen
The laurel leaves in the coat of arms ofKaskinen,Finland (Swedish:Kaskö) may have been meant to refer to local flowering, but its origin may also be in the name of the family Bladh (Swedish:blad; 'leaf'); two members of the family – a father and a son – acquired bothtown rights and the status of staple town for the village at the time.[38][39]
Both essential and fatty oils are present in the fruit. The fruit is pressed and water-extracted to obtain these products. The fruit contains up to 30% fatty oils and about 1% essential oils (terpenes, sesquiterpenes,alcohols, andketones). This laurel oil is the characteristic ingredient ofAleppo soap. The chemical compoundlauroside B has been isolated fromLaurus nobilis.[41]
^abcStace, C. A. (2010).New Flora of the British Isles (Third ed.). Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press.ISBN9780521707725.
^Brown, R.W. (1956).Composition of scientific words: A manual of methods and a lexicon of materials for the practice of logotechnics. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
^"Laurus L."Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved11 February 2024.
^Mabberley, The Plant-Book: A Portable Dictionary of the Vascular Plants, Cambridge University Press, 19 Jun 1997
^Brickell, Christopher, ed. (2008).The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 614.ISBN9781405332965.
^Graves, Robert (1955).The Greek Myths: Part 1. Penguin Books. pp. 21.K –21.L.
^"The Metamorphoses". Translated by Kline, A. S. 2000. Archived from the original on April 19, 2005. Retrieved2017-11-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Scott, Michael (2014).Delphi. Princeton University Press. p. 20.
^Swahn, J. O. (1991).The Lore of Spices. Random House. p. 40.
^De Cleene, Marcel; Lejeune, Marie Claire (2003).Compendium of symbolic and ritual plants in Europe. Vol. 1. Man & Culture. p. 129.OCLC482791069.
^abMcCartney, Eugene S. (1929). "Why Did Tiberius Wear Laurel in the Form of a Crown During Thunder Storms".Classical Philology.24 (2):201–203.doi:10.1086/361124.S2CID162098134.
^Brendon, Juliet et al.The Moon Year: A Record of Chinese Customs and Festivals,p. 410. Kelly & Walsh, 1927. Reprinted Routledge (Abingdon), 2011. Accessed 13 November 2013.
^Zdic (2013)."蟾宫折桂". Accessed 13 November 2013.(in Chinese)
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^Suomen kunnallisvaakunat (in Finnish). Suomen Kunnallisliitto. 1982. p. 117.ISBN951-773-085-3.
^Boyko, Dm. A. (2013).Геральдика Великого Княжества Финляндского [Heraldry of the Grand Duchy of Finland]. Zaporizhzhia.(in Russian)
^Kilic, Ayben; Hafizoglu, Harzemsah; Kollmannsberger, Hubert; Nitz, Siegfried (2004). "Volatile Constituents and Key Odorants in Leaves, Buds, Flowers, and Fruits ofLaurus nobilisL".Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.52 (6):1601–6.Bibcode:2004JAFC...52.1601K.doi:10.1021/jf0306237.PMID15030218.
^Panza, E; Tersigni, M; Iorizzi, M; Zollo, F; De Marino, S; Festa, C; Napolitano, M; Castello, G; et al. (2011). "Lauroside B, a megastigmane glycoside from Laurus nobilis (bay laurel) leaves, induces apoptosis in human melanoma cell lines by inhibiting NF-κB activation".Journal of Natural Products.74 (2):228–33.Bibcode:2011JNAtP..74..228P.doi:10.1021/np100688g.PMID21188975.
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