40-520: Cinnamomum mercadoi ( kalingag ) is a small tree, about 6 to 10 metres (20 to 33 ft) high, with a thick, aromatic bark. The plant part of the family Lauraceae , which contains about 45 genera and 2000-2500 species, and is related to the culinary cinnamon, sassafras, and bay tree. The plant is indigenous to the Philippines , where it grows best in forests at low and medium altitudes that sometimes ascend to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). C. mercadoi
80-503: A bowl-shaped perianth cup, and are usually 12 x 8 millimeters in dimension. The seeds are smooth and are narrow to elliptic-shaped. The sassafras aroma and taste that the leaves and bark of the C. mercadoi may be added to root beers to give them flavor. There are several medicinal properties of C. mercadoi including its usage as a(n) diaphoretic, parasiticide, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, analgesic, and diuretic. The bark of C. mercadoi has traditionally been used in medicine in
120-806: A generous layer of wax , making them glossy in appearance, and a narrow, pointed-oval shape with a 'drip tip', which permits the leaves to shed water despite the humidity, allowing transpiration to continue. Scientific names similar to Daphne (e.g., Daphnidium , Daphniphyllum ) or "laurel" (e.g., Laureliopsis , Skimmia laureola ) indicate other plant families that resemble Lauraceae. Some Lauraceae species have adapted to demanding conditions in semiarid climates, but they tend to depend on favorable edaphic conditions, for example, perennial aquifers, periodic groundwater flows, or periodically flooded forests in sand that contains hardly any nutrients. Various species have adapted to swampy conditions by growing pneumatophores , roots that grow upward, that project above
160-554: A lack of widespread consensus within the scientific community for extended periods. The continual publication of new data and diverse opinions plays a crucial role in facilitating adjustments and ultimately reaching a consensus over time. The naming of families is codified by various international bodies using the following suffixes: The taxonomic term familia was first used by French botanist Pierre Magnol in his Prodromus historiae generalis plantarum, in quo familiae plantarum per tabulas disponuntur (1689) where he called
200-419: A valued ornamental and medicinal plant, is so invasive as to have been declared a weed in subtropical forested areas of South Africa. Lauraceae flowers are protogynous , often with a complex flowering system to prevent inbreeding . The fruits are an important food source for birds, on which some Palaeognathae are highly dependent. Other birds that rely heavily on the fruit for their diets include members of
240-499: Is commonly referred to as the "walnut family". The delineation of what constitutes a family— or whether a described family should be acknowledged— is established and decided upon by active taxonomists . There are not strict regulations for outlining or acknowledging a family, yet in the realm of plants, these classifications often rely on both the vegetative and reproductive characteristics of plant species. Taxonomists frequently hold varying perspectives on these descriptions, leading to
280-523: Is erect and grows from the uppermost leaf axils, about 10 centimeters long. The petals are smooth and rarely exerted. The calyx is canescent and turbinate. Finally, the bark is gray and does not have any fissures or cracks. It is covered irregularly with corky pustules and thus giving the bark a slightly rough appearance. The flowers of the C. mercadoi are greenish-yellow and include in terminal or subterminal panicles up to 15 centimeters long. The fruits are smooth, shiny, steel blue, elliptic-shaped, seated on
320-405: Is not fully supported. Backing has come from matK sequences of chloroplast genes while a questionable placement of Cassytha has been concluded from analysis of intergenetic spacers of chloroplast and nuclear genomes. Embryological studies also appear contradictory. One study by Heo et al. (1998) supports the subfamily. It found that Cassytha develops an ab initio cellular-type endosperm and
360-485: Is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy . It is classified between order and genus . A family may be divided into subfamilies , which are intermediate ranks between the ranks of family and genus. The official family names are Latin in origin; however, popular names are often used: for example, walnut trees and hickory trees belong to the family Juglandaceae , but that family
400-407: Is poorly understood. This is partly due to its great diversity, the difficulty of identifying the species, and partly because of inadequate investment in taxonomic work. Recent monographs on small and medium-sized genera of Lauraceae (up to about 100 species) have revealed many new species. Similar increases in the numbers of species recognised in other larger genera are to be expected. Most of
440-569: Is unique in the Lauraceae in that its members are parasitic vines . Most laurels are highly poisonous. The family has a worldwide distribution in tropical and warm climates. The Lauraceae are important components of tropical forests ranging from low-lying to montane . In several forested regions, Lauraceae are among the top five families in terms of the number of species present. The Lauraceae give their name to habitats known as laurel forests , which have many trees that superficially resemble
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#1732800994929480-535: Is unusual in the cinnamon family in that its essential oil consists large amounts of safrol , whereas other oils of cinnamon contain cinnamaldehyde . It is currently listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as "vulnerable" due to the overharvesting and the continuous loss of the Philippine forests. Cinnamomum mercadoi is only found in the Philippines , from
520-656: The Babuyan Islands and northern Luzon to Mindanao . Cinnamomum mercadoi plants are monoecious and are variable in the height, shape, size, and texture of the leaves. They typically grow in primary and secondary forests with altitudes of about 300 to 700 metres (980 to 2,300 ft) but are able to ascend to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). They grow best in subtropical and mild temperate forest conditions where high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures are found. They also grow best in pH levels of about 4 to 5 and their seeds are mainly dispersed via birds such as
560-527: The laurels , is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide. They are dicotyledons , and occur mainly in warm temperate and tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America . Many are aromatic evergreen trees or shrubs, but some, such as Sassafras , are deciduous , or include both deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs, especially in tropical and temperate climates. The genus Cassytha
600-427: The matK chloroplast gene, as well as sequences of chloroplast and nuclear genomes, reveal close relationships between the two tribes. Embryological evidence does not support a clear division between the two tribes, either. Genera such as Caryodaphnopsis and Aspidostemon that share embryological characteristics with one tribe and wood and bark characteristics or inflorescence characteristics with another tribe blur
640-557: The palaeontological succession and climate change that followed the breakups of the supercontinents. These genera include some of the best-known species of particular commercial value: Loss of habitat and overexploitation for such products has put many species in danger of extinction as a result of overcutting, extensive illegal logging , and habitat conversion. Conversely, some species, though commercially valuable in some countries, are regarded as aggressive invaders in other regions. For example, Cinnamomum camphora , though
680-400: The Lauraceae are evergreen trees in habit . Exceptions include some two dozen species of Cassytha , all of which are obligately parasitic vines . The fruits of Lauraceae are drupes , one-seeded fleshy fruit with a hard layer, the endocarp , surrounding the seed. However, the endocarp is very thin, so the fruit resemble a one-seeded berry. The fruit in some species (particularly in
720-410: The Lauraceae is not fully resolved. Multiple classification schemes based on a variety of morphological and anatomical characteristics have been proposed, but none are fully accepted. According to Judd et al. (2007), the suprageneric classification proposed by van der Werff and Richter (1996) is currently the authority. However, due to an array of molecular and embryological evidence that disagrees with
760-405: The Lauraceae, though they may belong to other plant families such as Magnoliaceae or Myrtaceae . Laurel forests of various types occur on most continents and on many major islands. Although the taxonomy of the Lauraceae is still not settled, conservative estimates suggest some 52 genera worldwide, including 3,000 to 3,500 species. Compared to other plant families, the taxonomy of Lauraceae still
800-552: The Philippines. In 1668, the Jesuit Ignatio Francisco Alzina reported that eating it aided digestion and since then, it has been employed to treat digestive troubles. It was also employed as a treatment for headaches and rheumatism and has been used as a rubefacient . Furthermore, the bark is used as a(n) carminative, stimulant, astringent, antiseptic, antifungal, and antiviral property. Finally,
840-605: The Tertiary strata of Europe and North America, but they virtually disappeared from central Europe in the Late Miocene . Because of their unusual fragility, the pollens of Lauraceae do not keep well and have been found only in relatively recent strata. Deciduous Lauraceae lose all of their leaves for part of the year depending on variations in rainfall. The leaf loss coincides with the dry season in tropical, subtropical, and arid regions. Laurel wilt disease, caused by
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#1732800994929880-403: The decoction of the leaves is a remedy for flatulence and menstrual problems in women. In a study by Bacon (1909), one of the earliest chemical studies on the C. mercadoi reported the presence of essential oil, oleoresin, and resin. It was discovered that the oil primarily contained safrole and a further study conducted by Concha (1966), showed that the volatile oil and safrole were found in
920-457: The division of these groups. All available evidence, except for inflorescence morphology and wood and bark anatomy, fails to support separate tribes Laureae and Perseeae. The tribe Cryptocaryeae is partially supported by molecular and embryological studies. Chloroplast and nuclear genomes support a tribal grouping that contains all the genera circumscribed by van der Weff and Richter (1996), as well as three additional genera. Partial support for
960-407: The families Cotingidae , Columbidae , Trogonidae , Turdidae , and Ramphastidae , amongst others. Birds that are specialised frugivores tend to eat the whole fruit and regurgitate seeds intact, thereby releasing the seeds in favourable situations for germination ( ornithochory ). Some other birds that swallow the fruit pass the seed intact through their guts. Seed dispersal of various species in
1000-540: The family as a rank intermediate between order and genus was introduced by Pierre André Latreille in his Précis des caractères génériques des insectes, disposés dans un ordre naturel (1796). He used families (some of them were not named) in some but not in all his orders of "insects" (which then included all arthropods ). In nineteenth-century works such as the Prodromus of Augustin Pyramus de Candolle and
1040-595: The family however, occur pantropically in general lowland and Afromontane forest, and in Africa for example there are species endemic to countries such as Cameroon , Sudan , Tanzania , Uganda and Congo . Several relict species in the Lauraceae occur in temperate areas of both hemispheres. Many botanical species in other families have similar foliage to the Lauraceae due to convergent evolution , and forests of such plants are called laurel forest . These plants are adapted to high rainfall and humidity, and have leaves with
1080-579: The family include these genera: These genera have traditionally been considered separate within Lauraceae, but have not been included in the most recent treatments: A laurel wreath , a round or horseshoe-shaped wreath made of connected laurel branches and leaves, is an ancient symbol of triumph in classical Western culture originating in Greek mythology , and is associated in some countries with academic or literary achievement. Family (biology) Family ( Latin : familia , pl. : familiae )
1120-495: The family is also carried out by monkeys , arboreal rodents , porcupines , opossums , and fishes . Hydrochory occurs in Caryodaphnopsis . The leaves of some species in the Lauraceae have domatia in the axils of their veins . The domatia are home to certain mites . Other lauraceous species, members of the genus Pleurothyrium in particular, have a symbiotic relationship with ants that protect and defend
1160-456: The fruit-specialized hornbills which account for the scattered distribution and regeneration of the tree species across the island. The leaves of the C. mercadoi are simple, opposite or subopposite, smooth, pale green, ovately-oblong or broadly lanceolate. The leaves are also sometimes subelliptic, usually 8 to 20 centimeters long and 4 to 6 centimeters wide, and are pointed at both ends, with petioles 5 to 15 millimeters long. The inflorescence
1200-704: The genera Ocotea ) are partly immersed or covered in a cup-shaped or deep thick cupule , which is formed from the tube of the calyx where the peduncle joins the fruit; this gives the fruit an appearance similar to an acorn . In some Lindera species, the fruit have a hypocarpium at the base of the fruit. Because the family is so ancient and was so widely distributed on the Gondwana supercontinent , modern species commonly occur in relict populations isolated by geographical barriers, for instance on islands or tropical mountains. Relict forests retain endemic fauna and flora in communities of great value in inferring
1240-454: The groupings, it is not fully accepted by the scientific community. Their classification is based on inflorescence structure and wood and bark anatomy. It divides Lauraceae into two subfamilies, Cassythoideae and Lauroideae. The Cassythoideae comprise a single genus, Cassytha , and are defined by their herbaceous, parasitic habit. The Lauroideae are then divided into three tribes: Laureae, Perseeae, and Cryptocaryeae. The subfamily Cassythoideae
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1280-931: The huge amount of variation within the family poses a major challenge for developing a reliable classification. The adaptation of Lauraceae to new environments has followed a long evolutionary journey which has led to many specializations , including defensive or deterrent systems against other organisms. Phytochemicals in the Lauraceae are numerous and diverse. Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids include aporphines and oxoaporphines , as well as derivatives of morphinans . Essential oils include terpenoids , benzyl benzoates , allylphenols , and propenylphenols . Lignans and neolignans are present, along with S -methyl-5-O- flavonoids , proanthocyanidins , cinnamoylamides , phenylpyrroles, styryl pyrones , polyketides ( acetogenins ), furanosesquiterpenes , and germacranolidous , heliangolidous , eudesmanolidous and guaianolidous sesquiterpene lactones . Recent taxonomic revisions of
1320-411: The leaves, bark, and roots of the plant. Sapogenin was also found to be present in the leaves and seeds of the C. mercadoi , as was reported by Anzaldo (1958). Phytochemical screening of the crude methanol extract of the plant indicated the presence of saponins , condensed tannins , an unsaturated lactone ring, and leucoanthocyanins . Lauraceae Many; see § Genera Lauraceae , or
1360-570: The levels of periodic floods that drown competing plants which lack such adaptations. Paleobotanists have suggested the family originated some 174±32 million years ago (Mya), while others do not believe they are older than the mid- Cretaceous . Fossil flowers attributed to this family occur in Cenomanian clays (mid-Cretaceous, 90-98 Mya) of the Eastern United States ( Mauldinia mirabilis ). Fossils of Lauraceae are common in
1400-473: The rest of the family (with one exception) develops a nuclear-type endosperm. Kimoto et al. (2006) suggest Cassytha should be placed in the tribe Cryptocaryeae because it shares a glandular anther tapetum and an embryo sac protruding from the nucellus with other members of the Cryptocaryeae. The tribes Laureae and Perseeae are not well supported by any molecular or embryological studies. Sequences of
1440-575: The seventy-six groups of plants he recognised in his tables families ( familiae ). The concept of rank at that time was not yet settled, and in the preface to the Prodromus Magnol spoke of uniting his families into larger genera , which is far from how the term is used today. In his work Philosophia Botanica published in 1751, Carl Linnaeus employed the term familia to categorize significant plant groups such as trees , herbs , ferns , palms , and so on. Notably, he restricted
1480-485: The tree. Some Ocotea species are also used as nesting sites by ants, which may live in leaf pockets or in hollowed-out stems. Defense mechanisms that occur among members of the Lauraceae include irritant or toxic sap or tissues that repel or poison many herbivorous organisms. Trees of the family predominate in the world's laurel forests and cloud forests , which occur in tropical to mild temperate regions of both northern and southern hemispheres. Other members of
1520-471: The tribe is also attained from the matK sequences of chloroplast genes as well as embryology. Challenges in Lauraceae classification The knowledge of the species comprising the Lauraceae is incomplete. In 1991, about 25-30% of neotropical Lauraceae species had not been described. In 2001, embryological studies had only been completed on individuals from 26 genera yielding a 38.9% level of knowledge, in terms of embryology, for this family. Additionally,
1560-549: The use of this term solely within the book's morphological section, where he delved into discussions regarding the vegetative and generative aspects of plants. Subsequently, in French botanical publications, from Michel Adanson 's Familles naturelles des plantes (1763) and until the end of the 19th century, the word famille was used as a French equivalent of the Latin ordo (or ordo naturalis ). In zoology ,
1600-518: The virulent fungal pathogen Raffaelea lauricola , a native of southern Asia , was found in the southeast United States in 2002. The fungus spreads between hosts via a wood-boring beetle, Xyleborus glabratus , with which it has a symbiotic relationship. Several Lauraceae species are affected. The beetle and disease are believed to have arrived in the US via infected solid wood packing material, and have since spread to several states. Classification within
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