Family Profile: The Lauraceae
By Lucas Hill This post is one of a series from professor Nisse Goldberg's Plant Taxonomy students at Jacksonville University. FNPS blogger Laurie Sheldon assisted the students individually with their initial drafts, and provided them with editorial feedback and guidance for content development. Characteristics Leaf: simple, entire, alternate (leaves on opposite sides of the stem and do not attach at the same point), and spiral (rotating in position along the stem) Flower: bisexual or unisexual, radial, usually small and pale Fruit: berry-like drupe Description Members of the family Lauraceae are mostly trees and shrubs, with one genus ( Cassytha ) that is a parasitic vine. Many are rich in aromatic ethereal oils that have terpenoids and alkaloids (organic chemicals that have many uses to the plant, including defense). This family consists of 50 genera, 8 of which are found here in Florida. The red bay ( Persea borbonia var. borbonia , Fig. 1), silk bay ( P. bor...