Litsea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Litsea | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Litsea monopetala Illustration
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Species | ||||||||||||
|
200-400, including: |
Litsea is a genus of evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes 200-400 species in tropical and subtropical Australia, New Zealand, North America and South America and Asia. China alone has over 70 species, mostly in warm regions of the south and southwest.
[edit] Selected species
- L. calicaris, Mangeao, New Zealand, a tree reaching 15 m in height with smooth dark greyish brown bark. Opposite leaves, 50-150 mm long, ovate or ovate-oblong, bluish-green below. Flowers small, in umbels of 4-5, drupe oblong-ovoid, 2 mm long, reddish and seated on a disc.
- L. cubeba, evergreen shrub or small tree with lemon-scented leaves and small, pepper-like fruit. The wood is used for furniture, construction,and lumber. The flowers, leaves and fruit are used as medicine and for extracting an essential oil (also called May Chang) used in perfumery.
- L. ichangensis, forms part of Rhinopithicus roxellana summer diet.
