| Large-flowered bay tree | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Laurales |
| Family: | Lauraceae |
| Genus: | Machilus |
| Species: | M. macranthus |
| Binomial name | |
| Machilus macranthus | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
Persea macrantha(Nees) Kosterm. | |
Machilus macranthus, the large-flowered bay tree, [2] is an evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae), native to India, Sri Lanka, the Himalayas, Myanmar, and western Yunnan in south-central China. [1]
The tree grows in the Western Ghats mountain range of India, and can reach 30 m (98 ft). Leaves are simple, alternate, spiral; lamina obovate or elliptic to elliptic-oblong; apex rounded or acuminate or acute; base acute to rounded with entire margin. [3] Flowers show terminal panicle inflorescence. Fruit is a berry which becomes blackish on ripening. [4]
The plant is known to have medicinal properties and used in Ayurveda. [5] [ unreliable source? ]
