laurel
American Heritage Dictionary:
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lau·rel
(lôr'əl, lŏr'-) 
n.
n.
- A Mediterranean evergreen tree (Laurus nobilis) having aromatic, simple leaves and small blackish berries. Also called bay, bay laurel, Also called sweet bay.
- A shrub or tree, such as the mountain laurel, having a similar aroma or leaf shape.
- A wreath of laurel conferred as a mark of honor in ancient times upon poets, heroes, and victors in athletic contests. Often used in the plural.
- Honor and glory won for great achievement. Often used in the plural.
- To crown with laurel.
- To honor, especially with an award or a prize.
rest on (one's) laurels
- To rely on one's past achievements instead of working to maintain or advance one's status or reputation.
[Middle English, from Old French laureole, from Latin laureola, diminutive of laurea, laurel tree. See laureate.]
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laurel
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Bay laurel
bay laurel
A tree originally from the Mediterranean basin whose persistent, lanceolate (spear-shaped) leaves, dark green in color, are used for their flavor. In cooking, these are usually referred to as bay leaves. The bay laurel tree produces small flowers that form berries.
Buying
Choose: dried bay leaves that are well colored and a light green.
Serving Ideas
Bay leaves are used whole or in pieces, fresh (bitter) or dried. In cooking, they are usually used dried. As they are highly perfumed, quite often only a single leaf is needed for a whole dish. The longer they cook in a liquid, the more flavor they give to the dish. They flavor sauces, soups, stews, meats,
poultry, fish, vegetables, legumes, terrines, pâtés, marinades, in short, almost everything, but especially simmered dishes. Ground bay leaf flavors stuffings and marinades. Along with parsley and thyme, bay leaves are an essential component of bouquet garni.
Storing
Dry freshly picked leaves to keep their flavor. Keep them away from drafts and light and they will keep up to 1 year.
Nutritional Information
| vitamin A | 4 RE |
| calcium | 5 mg |
| potassium | 3 mg |
| iron | 0.3 mg |
| per 1 tsp/5 ml | |
Its essential oil is said to be effective as a pomade to relieve sprains and bruises.
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(tree)
There were many uses, both practical and symbolic, for the aromatic evergreen leaves of bay (also called laurel); it was much favoured for festive decoration, but at funerals it expressed the hope of resurrection, since it can revive after dying back to its roots. The herbalist John Parkinson wrote in his Paradisus Terrestris (1629), 426:
The bay-leaves are necessary both for civil uses and for physic, yes, both for the sick and the sound, both for the living and for the dead. It serveth to adorne the House of God as well as man, to crowne or encircle, as with a garland, the heads of the living, and to sticke and decke forth the bodies of the dead; so that from the cradle to the grave, we still have use of it.
In Pliny's Natural History (AD 77), it is said that laurel guards the doorways of great men's houses, and is never struck by lightning. Both ideas passed into English lore; a bay in the garden was thought to protect the house from lightning and keep away witches, the Devil, or (nowadays) bad luck (Opie and Tatem, 1989: 14; Vickery, 1995: 28). Occasionally bay trees wither for no apparent reason, an omen of death for rulers (Shakespeare, Richard II, II. iv).
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laurel, common name for the Lauraceae, a family of forest trees and shrubs found mainly in tropical SE Asia but also abundant in tropical America. Most have aromatic bark and foliage and are evergreen; deciduous species are usually those that extend into temperate zones. The plants are important for aromatic oils and spices, edible fruits, and timber (e.g., from species of the largest genus, Ocotea). The true laurel-that of history and classical literature-is Laurus nobilis, called also bay and sweet bay. It is native to the Mediterranean, where to the ancients it symbolized victory and merit and was sacred to Apollo. The fragrant leaves are sold commercially as bay leaf, a seasoning. Many plants of the unrelated heath family are also called laurels in the United States because of their similarly dark and glossy but poisonous leaves; the cherry laurel is a species of the rose family. A native American laurel is the evergreen California laurel (Umbellularia californica), also called pepperwood, bay-tree, and Oregon myrtle. It grows in California and Oregon and provides wood, medicinal leaves, and fruits that were eaten by Native Americans. Lindera benzoin, commonly called spicebush, benzoin, or wild allspice, is another fragrant species found in America; its powdered berries have been used as a substitute for allspice. All other Lindera species are Asian. The red bay (Persea borbonia) of the southeast coastal plains has very strong, bright reddish-brown heartwood used in cabinetmaking and interior finishing. P. americana, the alligator pear, or avocado (from Sp. aguacate), has been cultivated in Mexico and Guatemala for millennia; it is now grown extensively in Florida and California and many parts of the moister tropics and subtropics for its nutritious oil-rich fruit and is used chiefly in salads. Sassafras (Sassafras albidum), a tree or shrub, was one of the first American plants to command the attention of European settlers, who exported it to the Old World as a high-priced panacea. Its aromatic bark is still occasionally used for medicinal tea, and its pulverized leaves for soup and condiments. Safrole, used in flavorings and medicinals, is obtained from oil of sassafras as well as from the camphor tree. The camphor tree, the cassia-bark tree, and the cinnamon tree all belong to the Asian genus Cinnamomum and are extensively cultivated for their aromatic bark (see cinnamon and camphor). Many of the evergreen laurels are grown as hedges and, because of their handsome foliage, are used by florists. The laurel family is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Laurales.
A tree that Lucius Apuleius (ca. 126-173 B.C.E.) classed as among the plants which preserve men from the influence of evil spirits. It was also believed to give protection from lightning. The laurel was regarded as sacred to Apollo, and it was associated with purifying, since Apollo was the great purifier. An evergreen, it was a symbol of immortality; its intoxicating properties associated it with prophetic and poetic inspiration. The Pythian priestess at Delphi in Greece used to chew laurel leaves to enhance oracular powers. The laurel also symbolized victory and peace. The victors in the Pythian games were crowned with laurel. Roman generals sent news of their victories in messages wrapped in laurel leaves, delivered to the Senate.
Aromatherapy by Answers.com:
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bay laurel
laurus nobilis
Bay laurel has a herbaceous, fruity, fresh, camphorous fragrance. It is used in aromatherapy oil to treat amenorrhea, colds, flu, loss of appetite, and tonsillitis.
Safety Precautions: May be narcotic. May cause dermatitis. Avoid during pregnancy.
Devil's Dictionary:
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laurel
A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce
n.
The laurus, a vegetable dedicated to Apollo, and formerly defoliated to wreathe the brows of victors and such poets as had influence at court. (Vide supra.)
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Source: Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees [syn. S. officinale Nees et Eberm.; S. variifolium (Salisb.) Kuntzel] (Family Lauraceae).
Common/vernacular names: Common sassafras.
An aromatic deciduous tree with leaves ranging in shape from three-lobed to two-lobed to unlobed; up to about 40 m high; native to eastern United States from Maine to Florida and west to Michigan and Texas. Part used is the dried root bark.
Safrole-free sassafras extract is obtained by dilute alcoholic extraction of the bark followed by concentrating under vacuum, diluting the concentrate with water, and separating and discarding the oily fraction.
| Sarsaparilla | |
| Savory |
Wiley Dictionary of Flavors:
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Bay, Sweet (Bay Laurel) (Laurel nobilis L.)
- Sweet bay is used in gravies, sauces, general seasonings, and pickles due to its sweet, spicy character. The spice contains fatty acids (lauric and myristic). The essential oil can also be used in insect repellents alone or blended with other similarly active oils like citronella. Bay is a useful oil blended with other oils to make complex spice notes, and is used in pickles and general seasonings. The leaf oil contains an appreciable amount of eugenol, over 30%. The name laurel is given because it is the herb that was used entwined to create the laurel worn by those of high station and by the victors of both sports contests and battles. Old leaves lose their flavor and should not be used. The bay leaf should not be eaten when used in cooking, due to its safrole content. See Spice.
Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'laurel'
See crossword solutions for the clue Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Bay Laurel
For the California Bay Laurel, see Umbellularia. For the Cherry Laurel, see Prunus laurocerasus.
"Laurels" redirects here. For the greyhound race, see Laurels (greyhounds).
| Bay laurel | |
|---|---|
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| Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) flower buds and leaves | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Laurales |
| Family: | Lauraceae |
| Genus: | Laurus |
| Species: | L. nobilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Laurus nobilis L. |
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The bay laurel (Laurus nobilis, of the plant family Lauraceae), also known as sweet bay, bay tree, true laurel, Grecian laurel,[1] laurel tree, or simply laurel, is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is the source of the bay leaf used in cooking. Under the simpler name "laurel," Laurus nobilis figures prominently in classical Greek, Roman, and Biblical culture.
Worldwide, many other kinds of plants in diverse families are also called "bay" or "laurel," generally due to similarity of foliage or aroma to Laurus nobilis, and the full name is used for the California bay laurel (Umbellularia), also in the family Lauraceae.
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Characteristics
The laurel can vary greatly in size and height, sometimes reaching 10–18 metres (33–59 ft) tall. Laurus is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes three species, whose diagnostic key characters often overlap (Mabberley 1997).
The laurel is dioecious (unisexual), with male and female flowers on separate plants.[2] Each flower is pale yellow-green, about 1 cm diameter, and they are born in pairs beside a leaf. The leaves are 6–12 cm long and 2–4 cm broad, with a characteristic finely-serrated and wrinkled margin. The fruit is a small, shiny black berry about 1 cm long.[2]
Ecology
Further information: Laurisilva
Further information: Laurel forest
Laurus nobilis and Ilex aquifolium are widespread relics of the laurisilva forests that originally covered much of the Mediterranean Basin when the climate of the region was more humid. With the drying of the Mediterranean during the Pliocene era, the laurel forests gradually retreated, and were replaced by the more drought-tolerant sclerophyll plant communities familiar today. Most of the last remaining laurisilva forests around the Mediterranean are believed to have disappeared approximately ten thousand years ago at the end of the Pleistocene era, when the Mediterranean Basin became drier and with a harsher climate, although some remnants of the laurel forest flora still persist in the mountains of southern Turkey, northern Syria, southern Spain, north-central Portugal and northern Morocco. Indigenous laurisilva forest also persists in Madeira near the North Atlantic Ocean, which has moderated these climatic fluctuations.
The ecological requirements of these species, are those of the laurel forest and like most of their counterparts laurifolia in the world, it is vigorous species with a great ability to populate the habitat that is conducive. Laurus nobilis responded to favourable climatic periods and expanded across the available habitat. Laurus nobilis occur as opportunistic species across wide distribution with close relatives and few species, indicating the recent divergence of this species. The extant laurel species of this group are relatively young.
The laurus genus is characteristic of the formations of laurel forest and was more widespread in the Tertiary. It has led to endemic species on islands, but not so widespread geographically as in the past. The genus come from a few relict species living in temperate areas and more distributed in the Tertiary. The main centers are found inhabiting montane forests or coastal forest in low-altitude. Laurus nobilis species have adapted to more extreme conditions but mostly depending on favorable soil edaphic conditions, as presence of aquifers, groundwater periodic flows, etc.
The patterns of speciation in the Lauraceae family, where laurus genus belong, indicate that since the onset of aridification on the continents 15 million years ago, rainforest diversified in species numbers with the majority of species the product of vicariance. One of the products of aridification is the current island like archipelagos of rainforests along the planet. The fragmentation of once more continuous rainforest facilitated isolation of populations and this likely caused the increase in the rate of speciation as found in the Lauraceae. In Europe the genus is represented by a single species, the named Laurus nobilis. In macaronesian islands this former arose from a common ancestor in the area of laurisilva in the Mediterranean area. The islander laurels of Macaronesia in the eastern Atlantic, are closely related to this species. A recent study found that native stands classified as L. nobilis in northern Spain shared greater genetic and morphological similarity to L. azorica than to populations of L. nobilis native to rest of Spain, France and Italy [Arroyo-Garcia et al. 2001]. This populations like the Cortegada Island population, in Galicia, famous for its large grove of laurels, come from seeds dispersed by birds but is not indigenous to the island, as this islander forest originated spontaneously from laurel specimens that were planted after the original vegetation was destroyed.
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.
Chemical constituents
The most abundant essential oil found in laurel is cineole, also called eucalyptol.[2] The leaves contain about 1.3% essential oils (ol. lauri folii), consisting of 45% eucalyptol, 12% terpenes, 3-4% sesquiterpenes, 3% methyleugenol, and other α- und β-pinenes, phellandrene, linalool, geraniol, and terpineol.
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, and ketones).
Food
The plant is the source of several popular spices used in a wide variety of recipes, particularly among Mediterranean cuisines.[2] Most commonly, the aromatic leaves are used, fresh or dried. For cooking purposes, whole bay leaves have a long shelf life of about one year, under normal temperature and humidity.[3] Bay leaves are used almost exclusively as flavour agents during the food preparation stage; even when cooked, whole bay leaves can be sharp and abrasive enough to damage internal organs, so they are typically removed from dishes before serving, unless used as a simple garnish.[3]
Ground bay leaves, however, can be ingested safely and are often used in soups and stocks, as well as being a common addition to a Bloody Mary.[3] Dried laurel berries and pressed leaf oil can both be used as robust spices, and even the wood can be burnt for strong smoke flavouring.[3]
Traditional medicine
Aqueous extracts of bay laurel can also be used as astringents and even as a reasonable salve for open wounds.[4]
In massage therapy, the essential oil of bay laurel is reputed to alleviate arthritis and rheumatism, while in aromatherapy, it is used to treat earaches and high blood pressure.[5][unreliable source?] A traditional folk remedy for rashes caused by poison ivy, poison oak, and stinging nettle is a poultice soaked in boiled bay leaves.[6]
The chemical compound lauroside B isolated from Laurus nobilis is an inhibitor of human melanoma (skin cancer) cell proliferation at high concentrations.[7]
Other uses
Laurel is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in regions with Mediterranean or oceanic climates, and as a house plant or greenhouse plant in colder regions.
Laurel oil is a main ingredient, and the distinguishing characteristic of Aleppo soap. Aleppo soap is revered worldwide for its skin care properties.
Symbolism
Bay laurel was used to fashion the laurel wreath of ancient Greece, a symbol of highest status. A wreath of bay laurels was given as the prize at the Pythian Games because the games were in honor of Apollo, and the laurel was one of his symbols.
Ovid tells the story that laurel tree was first formed when the nymph Daphne was changed into a laurel tree because of Apollo's pursuit of her. Daphne is the Greek name for the tree.[8]
The symbolism carried over to Roman culture, which held the laurel as a symbol of victory.[9] It is also the source of the words baccalaureate and poet laureate, as well as the expressions "assume the laurel" and "resting on one's laurels".
In the Bible, the laurel is often an emblem of prosperity and fame. In Christian tradition, it symbolizes the resurrection of Christ.
In Chinese folklore, there is a great laurel tree on the moon, and the Chinese name for the laurel, (Chinese: 月桂), literally translates to "moon-laurel". This is the subject of a story of Wu Gang, a man who aspired to immortality and neglected his work. When the deities discovered this, they sentenced Wu Gang to fell the laurel tree, whereupon he could join the ranks of the deities; however, since the laurel regenerated immediately when cut, it could never be felled. The phrase (Chinese: 吴刚伐木) ("Wu Gang chops the tree") is sometimes used to refer to endless toil, analogous to the legend of Sisyphus in Greek mythology.
See also
Notes
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d Vaghan, p.150.
- ^ a b c d Green, p.19.
- ^ Nayak, et al. (2006).
- ^ Encyclopedia of Herbs. "Bay Laurel: Laurus nobilis". AllNatural.net. http://www.allnatural.net/herbpages/bay-laurel.shtml. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
- ^ Wood, p.43.
- ^ 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. doi:10.1021/np100688g. PMID 21188975.
- ^ Edith Hamilton, Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes (1942)
- ^ De Cleene, p.129.
References
- De Cleene, Marcel; Lejeune, Marie Claire (2003). Compendium of symbolic and ritual plants in Europe, Volume 1. Man & Culture. OCLC 482791069.
- Green, Aliza (2006). Field Guide to Herbs & Spices. Philadelphia: Quirk Books. ISBN 1-59474-082-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=oGaF5FZ-sMMC&lpg=PA17&dq=bay%20laurel%20berries&pg=PA17#v=onepage&q=bay%20laurel%20berries&f=false. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
- Nayak, S; Nalabothu, P; Sandiford, S; Bhogadi, V; Adogwa, A (2006). "Evaluation of wound healing activity of Allamanda cathartica. L. and Laurus nobilis. L. extracts on rats". BMC complementary and alternative medicine 6: 12. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-6-12. PMC 1456996. PMID 16597335. //www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1456996.
- Wood, Jamie; Steinke, Lisa (2010). The Faerie's Guide to Green Magick from the Garden. New York: Random House. ISBN 1-58761-354-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=61Vm30HszfkC&lpg=PA43&dq=bay%20laurel&pg=PA43#v=onepage&q=bay%20laurel&f=false. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
- Vaughan, John Griffith; Geissler, Catherine (2009). The New Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-954946-X. http://books.google.com/books?id=UdKxFcen8zgC&lpg=PA150&dq=bay%20laurel&pg=PA150#v=onepage&q=bay%20laurel&f=false. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Laurus nobilis |
- Hogan, C.Michael (2010). "Laurus Nobilis L.". Encyclopedia of Life. http://www.eol.org/pages/486835. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
- MeSH: Laurus - Laurus nobilis (Bay Laurel)
- MeSH: 3-oxo-eudesma-1,4(15),11(13)triene-12,6alpha-olide [Substance Name]
- MeSH: anhydroperoxycostunolide [Substance Name]
- MeSH: magnolialide [Substance Name]
- PubMed search: "Laurus"[MAJR]
- PubMed search: "anhydroperoxycostunolide" OR "magnolialide" OR "3-oxo-eudesma-1,4(15),11(13)triene-12,6alpha-olide"
- PubMed: Laurus nobilis, induces apoptosis in human melanoma cells
- Laurus nobilis Israel Wildflowers and native plants
Examples of biological activity of bay laurel
- Simic, M; Kundaković, T; Kovacević, N (September 2003). "Preliminary assay on the antioxidative activity of Laurus nobilis extracts". Fitoterapia 74 (6): 613–6. doi:10.1016/S0367-326X(03)00143-6. PMID 12946729.
- Sayyah, M.; Saroukhani, G.; Peirovi, A.; Kamalinejad, M. (August 2003). "Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf essential oil of Laurus nobilis Linn". Phytother Res 17 (7): 733–6. doi:10.1002/ptr.1197. PMID 12916069.
- Sayyah, M; Valizadeh, J; Kamalinejad, M (April 2002). "Anticonvulsant activity of the leaf essential oil of Laurus nobilis against pentylenetetrazole- and maximal electroshock-induced seizures". Phytomedicine 9 (3): 212–6. doi:10.1078/0944-7113-00113. PMID 12046861.
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