✵The article gives records of the herb Bay, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source two plant species, ①.Laurus nobilis L., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of this plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this plant species, the features of the herb Bay, its main values, feature of herbs, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Bay(Sweet Bay).
English Name: Bay, or Sweet Bay.
Latin Name: Laurus nobilis L.
Common Names: Bay, Grecian laurel, green bay, bat laurel, laurel, Mediterranean bay, true bay, true laurel, Daphne, Noble Laurel, Roman Laurel, Sweet Bay.
Property and flavor: The bay leaves are warm in nature, it tastes pungent.
Brief introduction: The Laurus nobilis is a small, aromatic flowering evergreen tree that is widely cultivated but notoriously difficult to grow. The dried coriaceous dark green leaves and shiny black berries are used medicinally, the leaves and branches produce an essential oil by steam distillation.
Botanical source: Common herbal classics defined the herb Bay as the coriaceous dark green leaves and shiny black berries of the species (1). Laurus nobilis L. It is a plant species of the Laurus genus, the Lauraceae family (Lauraceae Juss, or Laureae family). In North America, the leaves and berries are used medicinally. In Europe, the leaves, fruit, and oil are used medicinally. This commonly used species is introduced:
(1).Laurus nobilis L.
Botanical description: Laurus nobilis is a small evergreen tree or shrub, it grows up to 12 meters high, with dark brown bark. Branchlets are cylindrical, with longitudinal fine stripes, and young parts are slightly puberulent or nearly glabrous. Leaves are alternate, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 5.5~12 cm long, 1.8~3.2 cm wide, sharp or tapered apex, base is cuneate (wedge-shaped), fine wavy edge, coriaceous, dark green on the upper side, slightly light on the back side, glabrous on both surfaces, pinnate veins, convex midvein and lateral veins spread on both sides, 10~12 lateral veins on each side, and curved connection at the end near the leaf edge. The petiole is 0.7~1 cm long, purplish-red when fresh, slightly puberulent, or nearly glabrous, with a grooved ventral mask.
Flowers are dioecious. The umbels are axillary, with 1~3 clusters or short racemes. Before flowering, they are wrapped by 4 involucral bracts, which are mutually opposite and spherical. Involucral bracts are suborbicular, glabrous on the outside, and sericeous on the inside, the total peduncle is as long as 7 mm, slightly puberulent, or nearly glabrous. Male flower: each umbel has 5 flowers; Flowers are small, yellowish-green, pedicel is about 2 mm long, sparsely pilose, perianth tube is short, outside is densely sparsely pilose, perianth lobes are 4, broadly obovate or suborbicular, both surfaces are appressed pilose; The fertile stamens are usually 12, arranged in three rounds, the first round of filaments has no glands, the second and third round of filaments have a pair of sessile reniform glands in the middle, and the anthers are oval, 2-loculed and indoor-oriented; Ovary sterility. Female flower: usually have 4 staminodes, which alternate with perianth segments, and there are pairs of sessile glands at the top of filaments with a lanceolate tongue extending between them; 1-loculed ovary, short style, slightly enlarged stigma, obtuse triangular. The fruit is ovoid, dark purple when ripe. The flowering period of the plant is from March to May and fruiting from June to September.
Ecological environment: Laurus nobilis is native and indigenous to Mediterranean countries, also spread in North America, and it is also introduced and cultivated in southeast and southwest China.
Growth characteristics: Laurus nobilis prefers a warm and humid climate, light-loving, shade-tolerant, slightly cold-resistant, and short-term low temperature of -8 ℃ to -6 ℃ (-8 to -6 degrees Celsius, or 17.6~21.2 degrees Fahrenheit). Resistant to drought, afraid of waterlogging. It is suitable for fertile and moist sandy loam with a deep soil layer and good drainage. It is not resistant to salt and alkali, is strong in germination, and is resistant to pruning.
Main values: laurel trees are compact, beautiful in posture, delicate and shiny in leaves, rich in aroma, and evergreen all the year-round, and the pale yellow flowers in spring are fragrant and pleasant, which is especially beautiful when planted in the courtyard. It is often planted in the front yard and used as a green wall to separate the space, and the concealment effect is good. When applied in gardens, it can usually be made into tufted shapes, single-pole spheres, tower shapes, tall stalk spheres, and natural shapes.
Characters of herbs: Bay leaves are the leaves of Laurus nobilis, Bay berries are the fruits of Laurus nobilis.
The leaves are oblong or lanceolate, 6~11 cm long and 1.5~4 cm wide, the apex is sharp, the base is cuneate (wedge-shaped), the edge is full or microwave-shaped, reflexed, the upper surface is gray-green, the back surface is pale, and the lateral veins and reticular veins on both sides are protruded, without hairs; Petiole is 5~8 mm long, glabrous. The surface is coriaceous and not easy to break. It has an aromatic odor and tastes pungent and cool.
Pharmacological actions: ①.mildly lower blood pressure and slow the heartbeat; ②.anti-viral and kill disease-causing bacteria, fungi and viruses;
Medicinal efficacy: The herb sweet bay is traditionally used as relaxants, appetite stimulants, sweat-inducers, lowering fever, relieving indigestion and colic, flatulence, prompt menstruation, and topically for arthritic aches and pains, sprains, bruises, insect stings, sores, other skin irritations, scalp conditions such as dandruff. In Europe, the herb is traditionally used as a skin stimulant and for rheumatic conditions. In TCM works, the herb laurel leaves are recorded with functions to replenish the stomach and regulate the flow of Qi, it is indicated for distension pain in the abdomen, injury from falling, and scabies.
Administration of Bay(Sweet Bay):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Bay(Sweet Bay)
Herbal classic books and TCM books:
The recommended dosage, an infusion, is prepared using 1 to 2 teaspoons of crushed leaves per cup of water and is drunk up to three times per day. One or two drops of the oil are added to tea, brandy, or honey. The essential oil is used in ointments and soaps, the essential and fatty oil was formerly used in the treatment of furuncles, and the laurel fruit is used externally in veterinary medicine as an udder ointment. In TCM works, the herb is recommended internally as water decoction, 3~6 grams, externally proper amount, wash with water decoction.
Contraindications, Precautions and Adverse Reactions: The common preparations, infusions, and other preparations appear to be generally safe to use, but external formulations occasionally cause rashes and other skin reactions in people with sensitive skin, the herb has medium potential for sensitization. Avoid ingesting the essential oil, preparations should be avoided for pregnant women as the herb can stimulate the uterus.
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1.Introduction of Bay:Sweet Bay or Grecian laurel.
✵The article gives records of the herb Bay, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source two plant species, ①.Laurus nobilis L., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of this plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this plant species, the features of the herb Bay, its main values, feature of herbs, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
English Name: Bay, or Sweet Bay.
Botanical description: Laurus nobilis is a small evergreen tree or shrub, it grows up to 12 meters high, with dark brown bark. Branchlets are cylindrical, with longitudinal fine stripes, and young parts are slightly puberulent or nearly glabrous. Leaves are alternate, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 5.5~12 cm long, 1.8~3.2 cm wide, sharp or tapered apex, base is cuneate (wedge-shaped), fine wavy edge, coriaceous, dark green on the upper side, slightly light on the back side, glabrous on both surfaces, pinnate veins, convex midvein and lateral veins spread on both sides, 10~12 lateral veins on each side, and curved connection at the end near the leaf edge. The petiole is 0.7~1 cm long, purplish-red when fresh, slightly puberulent, or nearly glabrous, with a grooved ventral mask.
Ecological environment: Laurus nobilis is native and indigenous to Mediterranean countries, also spread in North America, and it is also introduced and cultivated in southeast and southwest China.
Main values: laurel trees are compact, beautiful in posture, delicate and shiny in leaves, rich in aroma, and evergreen all the year-round, and the pale yellow flowers in spring are fragrant and pleasant, which is especially beautiful when planted in the courtyard. It is often planted in the front yard and used as a green wall to separate the space, and the concealment effect is good. When applied in gardens, it can usually be made into tufted shapes, single-pole spheres, tower shapes, tall stalk spheres, and natural shapes.
Characters of herbs: Bay leaves are the leaves of Laurus nobilis, Bay berries are the fruits of Laurus nobilis.
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