Laurus

This article is about the Laurus genus. For information on the church hierarch, see Metropolitan Laurus. For the saint, see Florus and Laurus
Laurus
Laurus novocanariensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Laurus
L.
Species

Laurus is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes three or more species.[1]

Species

The number of species in the genus has not yet been fully resolved. The following may or may not be included.[1]

Fossil history

Fossils dating from before the Pleistocene glaciations show that species of Laurus were formerly distributed more widely around the Mediterranean and North Africa, when the climate was more humid and mild than at present. It is currently thought that the drying of the Mediterranean basin during the glaciations caused Laurus to retreat to the mildest climate refuges, including southern Spain, Portugal and the Macaronesian islands. With the end of the last glacial period, L. nobilis recovered some of its former range around the Mediterranean.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species".
  2. Arroyo–García, R.; Martínez–Zapater, J. M.; Fernández Prieto, J. A.; Álvarez-Arbesú, R. (2001). "AFLP evaluation of genetic similarity among laurel populations (Laurus L.)". Euphytica. 122: 155–164. doi:10.1023/A:1012654514381.

Further reading

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