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Daphne laureola L.

Spurgelaurel (en), Laurier des bois (fr), Daphné lauréole (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Malvales > Thymelaeaceae > Daphne

Characteristics

Shrub to 1 (–1.5) m high. Leaves alternate, often crowded or ± forming whorls at branchlet apices; lamina obovate to oblanceolate, gradually tapered at base, entire margin, acute to obtuse at apex, (2–) 5–13 cm long, 1–3 (–3.5) cm wide, coriaceous, glossy dark green above, paler below, glabrous. Flowers in clusters in axils near branchlet apices, to 9 (–12) mm long, tubular base with 4 shorter, spreading to slightly reflexed lobes, usually pale yellow-green, greenish yellow or green, often fragrant. Fruits ovoid, to c. 13 mm long, fleshy, bluish black when mature.
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Evergreen glabrous shrub to c. 1 m high. Branches suberect. Lvs subsessile, 5-12 × 1.5-3.5 cm, oblanceolate or narrow-obovate, dark shining green above; base attenuate; apex subacute or acute. Fls fragrant, in very short, axillary, bracteate racemes. Bracts pale green, mostly < calyx. Calyx 7-10 mm long, green; lobes c. ⅓ length of tube, ovate. Stamens inserted near apex of tube; filaments much < anthers. Style c. 0.5 mm long. Fr. ovoid, black or nearly so.
Shrubs to 1.5 m, branches glabrous. Leaves persistent, subsessile; blade obovate, oblong, or lanceolate, 3–8 × 1–1.5 cm, coriaceous, adaxial surface shiny. Inflorescences 2–10-flowered. Flowers sessile or short-pedicellate, appearing after leaves have matured, clustered in axils on current year’s growth; hypanthium yellow-green or yellow, tubular to narrowly funnelform, 3–8 mm, glabrous; calyx lobes ovate, 2.5–4 mm. Drupes black.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread endozoochory
Mature width (meter) 1.25 - 1.5
Mature height (meter) 1.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

In Tasmania recorded growing in wet Eucalyptus regnans forest with other weeds near where it occurs in cultivation in a garden.
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Woods, mainly on calcareous soils, where it is widespread and rather common.
Light 2-8
Soil humidity 2-6
Soil texture 2-4
Soil acidity 3-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 7-9

Usage

Cultivated in gardens as an ornamental. Medicinal uses but all parts of plant poisonous to humans. See Fern (2020).
Uses environmental use fiber material medicinal ornamental poison
Edible -
Therapeutic use Purgative (unspecified), Tumor(Spleen) (unspecified), Cancer (unspecified), Poison (unspecified)
Human toxicity very strong toxic (bark), very strong toxic (whole), very strong toxic (fruit)
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) 150 - 365
Germination temperacture (C°) 10 - 15
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -18
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Daphne laureola habit picture by Fero Looxi (cc-by-sa)
Daphne laureola habit picture by Eric ALLARD (cc-by-sa)
Daphne laureola habit picture by Corentin Chalas (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Daphne laureola leaf picture by jean pierre (cc-by-sa)
Daphne laureola leaf picture by Marcel Figolu (cc-by-sa)
Daphne laureola leaf picture by francesca (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Daphne laureola flower picture by Corres Regina (cc-by-sa)
Daphne laureola flower picture by macchia1 (cc-by-sa)
Daphne laureola flower picture by Eric ALLARD (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Daphne laureola fruit picture by Fero Looxi (cc-by-sa)
Daphne laureola fruit picture by Patrick Nard (cc-by-sa)
Daphne laureola fruit picture by Odile RIBIERE (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Daphne laureola world distribution map, present in Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Algeria, Spain, France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, North Macedonia, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:831270-1
WFO ID wfo-0000637701
COL ID 344V2
BDTFX ID 21588
INPN ID 94432
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Daphne laureola Daphne major Daphne sempervirens Thymelaea laureola Laureola sempervirens Daphne arvernensis Laureola mas Daphne cantabrica Daphne kabylica Daphne multiflora Daphne pycnophylla Daphne laureola var. latifolia Daphne laureola subsp. latifolia Daphne laureola var. hosmariensis Daphne laureola subsp. laureola

Lower taxons

Daphne laureola subsp. philippii
WorldFloraDB 2024