Laurus nobilis L., Lauraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 6 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: yue gui, yue gui ye

English: Grecian laurel, bay, bay laurel, bay-leaf laurel, laurel, sweet bay, wreath laurel

French: laurier, laurier sauce

Japanese: gekkeiju

Spanish: laural

Habit:  shrub/tree

Description:  "Evergreen shrublike or small trees, up to 12 m tall, dioecious. Bark blackish brown. Branchlets terete, striate, puberulent on young part or wholly subglabrous. Leaves alternate; petiole purple-red when fresh, 0.7-1 cm, sparsely puberulent or subglabrous, sulcate adaxially; leaf blade greenish abaxially, dark green adaxially, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 5.5-12 x 1.8-3.2 cm, leathery, glabrous on both surfaces, lateral veins 10-12 pairs, curved and interconnected at ends near leaf margin, midrib elevated on both surfaces, reticulate veinlets ± conspicuous on both surfaces, foveolate, base cuneate, margin slightly undulate, apex acute or acuminate. Umbels 1-3 in cluster on short raceme, globose; involucral bracts suborbicular, glabrous outside, sericeous inside; peduncle up to 7 mm, sparsely puberulent or subglabrous. Male flowers 5 in each umbel, green, small; pedicels ca. 2 mm, pilose; perianth tube short, densely pilose outside; perianth lobes 4, broadly obovate or suborbicular, appressed villous on both surfaces; fertile stamens usually 12, in 3 whorls; filaments of 1st whorl eglandular but those of 2nd and 3rd whorls each with 2 reniform glands at middle part; anthers ellipsoid, 2-celled, cells introrse; ovary infertile. Female flowers: staminodes 4; ovary 1-celled; style short; stigma slightly dilated, obtusely trigonous. Fruit dark purple when mature, ovoid"  (Flora of China online).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Zealand, "bay or bay laurel persists for a long time in abandoned gardens and is often semi-wild there" (Webb et al., 1988; 802).

Propagation:  "It spreads mainly by seed but suckering does occur" (Webb et al., 1988; 802).

Native range:  Northern Africa, southern and southeastern Europe, Middle East; cultivated and naturalized elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced cultivated	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1958) (voucher ID: BISH 54367) Taxon name on voucher: Laurus nobilis L.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1989) (voucher ID: BISH 548803) Taxon name on voucher: Laurus nobilis L.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1990) (voucher ID: BISH 557715) Taxon name on voucher: Laurus nobilis L.
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 71) Planté comme condiment dans les jardins.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Cultivated. Fujian, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang.
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive cultivated	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 802) Most frequent in and around modified forest remnants.
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Laurus nobilis, please let us know.