Lauraceae
Lauraceae Juss., Gen. Pl. 80. 1789. nom. cons. 'Laurel Family'
Salient Features
Members are aromatic trees or shrubs.
Leaves simple, alternate or spirally arranged, rarely opposite or whorled, evergreen.
Inflorescence racemose or cymose, often umbelliform with involucral bracts.
Flowers small, with small and undifferentiated perianth.
Stamens in several whorls, with valvular anther dehiscence.
Gynoecium of one carpel, ovary usually superior, with single apical ovule.
Fruit a single seeded drupe or berry.
Diversity:
World- 68 genera, 2928 species (The Plant List 2013); 45 genera, 2850 species (Christenhusz & Byng 2016); 56 genera, 2700 species (Mabberley 2017); 56 genera, 3320 species (Roskov et al. 2021)
India - 17 genera, 212 species (Karthikeyan 2000); 20 genera, 205 species (BSI, 2021)
Indian Himalaya- 18 genera, 96 species (Singh et al. 2019)
Uttarakhand - 10 genera, 23 species (Uniyal et al. 2007)
General Characters:
Lauraceae in Watson & Dallwitz (1992 onwards)
Lauraceae in Wikipedia
Systematic Position of Family in Different Systems of Classifications:
Systematic position in 2-Superkingdom, 7-Kingdom classification of Ruggiero et al. (2015)
Super Kingdom- Eukaryota, Kingdom- Plantae, Subkingdom- Viridiplantae, Infrakingdom- Streptophyta, Superphylum- Embryophyta, Phylum- Tracheophyta, Subphylum- Spermatophytina, Superclass- Angiospermae, Class- Magnoliopsida, Superorder- Magnilianae, Order- Laurales
Bentham & Hooker (1862-83)
Class : Dicotyledons
Subclass : Monochlamydeae
Series : Daphnales
Engler & Prantl (1887-1915)
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Embryophyta Siphonogama
Subdivision : Angiospermae
Class : Dicotyledoneae
Subclass : Archichlamydeae
Order : Ranales
Suborder : Magnoliineae
Hutchinson (1973)
Phylum : Angiospermae
Subphylum : Dicotyledones
Division : Lignosae
Order : Laurales
Cronquist (1988)
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Subclass : Magnoliidae
Order : Laurales
Thorne & Reveal (2007)
Class : Magnoliopsida
Subclass : Magnoliidae
Super Order: Magnolianae
Order : Laurales
Takhtajan (2009)
Phylum : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Subclass : Magnoliidae
Super Order : Lauranae
Order : Laurales
Reveal (2012)
Class : Equisetopsida
Subclass : Magnoliidae
Super Order : Magnolianae
Order : Laurales
Suborder : Monimiineae
APG-IV (2016)
Clade : Angiosperms
Clade : Magnoliids
Order : Laurales
Shipunov (2020)
Class : Angiospermae
Subclass : Magnoliidae
Order : Magnoliales
Suborder : Laurineae
Genera & Species in Pantnagar
To see larger images please click on the names
***Cultivated Flora***
Cinnamomum camphora L.f.
Vernacular name: Camphor Laurel, Camphorwood (English); Kapoor (Hindi)
Nativity: Korea, Japan and Taiwan (POWO, 2019)
Common Characteristics: Tall, evergreen tree. Leaves ovate-elliptic, young leaves burgundy colour and mature ones are dark green,
Propagation Methods: Propagated by cuttings and by seed (Dave’s Garden)
Photographed @ MRDC
Cinnamomum tamala (Buch.-Ham.) T.Nees & C.H.Eberm.
Vernacular name: Indian Bay Leaf, Tamala cassia (English), Tejpatta (Hindi)
Nativity: Himalaya to China (POWO, 2019)
Common Characteristics: Medium size evergreen trees. Leaves pale green, shiny, spirally to sub-opposite, apex acuminate, tree nerved.
Flowering period: February to April
Propagation Methods: Grown by air layering (Dave’s Garden)
Photographed @ MRDC
Cinnamomum verum J. Presl (=Cinnamomum zeylanicum Garcin ex Blume)
Vernacular name: Ceylon Cinnamon (English); Dalchini (Hindi)
Nativity: Sri Lanka (POWO, 2019)
Common Characteristics: Evergreen trees, medium sized. Young leaves reddish, mature leaves dark green, opposite to sub-opposite, three nerved, apex acuminate.
Flowering period: March to June
Propagation Methods: Grown by seeds (Dave’s Garden)
Photographed @ MRDC