About Laurus azorica (Seub.) Franco
Laurus azorica, commonly called the Azores laurel, is a small dioecious tree that can reach up to 15 meters (49 feet) in height. Its individual flowers are fragrant, creamy white, and roughly 1 centimeter in diameter; flowers grow in pairs positioned beside a leaf. The leaves of this species are large, shiny dark green, and broadly ovoid in shape, measuring 7 to 14 centimeters long and 4 to 8 centimeters broad, with smooth, entire margins. It produces a black drupe fruit that is approximately 1 to 2 centimeters long. Laurus azorica is native to the Azores, where it occurs on all of the archipelago's islands. It is a major component of laurisilva forests and high altitude juniper forests. It can also occasionally be found growing alongside populations of Myrica faya and Picconia azorica at mid-altitudes. Additional habitats where Laurus azorica grows include lava flows, margins of cultivated land, coastal scrubland, mountain scrubland, and forested peat bogs.
