MEDICINAL PLANTS

The bay is a beautiful tree, bright green foliage, it thrives naturally in the Mediterranean regions and enriched by its harmony Parks and Gardens. Bay leaves are held throughout the year and are tough and leathery, dark green on top and a little paler on the underside. The flowers are borne at the ends of the branches, gathered in groups of five. There are two types of laurels that bear fruit (called "baguers" in Catalan) and those that do not occur, which are the males. One grows in shady, moist areas of the coast, where they enjoy a not too extreme, or by the dry summer and by low winter temperatures.

FLOWERING

Flowers in spring, which is the best time to harvest leaves. The fruits, for their part, are harvested when fully ripe. Both the leaves and berries should be put out to dry in the shade, in a place free of dust.

APPLICATIONS

Laurel berry extracted an essence composed mainly of cineol, linalool and geraniol. They also appear fat. As for the leaves, consisting mainly of cineol, with varying amounts of eugenol, pinene and some organic acids such as acetic, isobutyric and valeric the. By laurel has been always considered as a stomach tonic, carminative, soothing and antiseptic. It is widely used in cooking, since its leaves give the food a pleasant perfume. In fact, Spanish cuisine is customary to make bay leaf cooked in some cooked meat and fish, to make them more aromatic and palatable. This practice is strongly recommended in the diet of people off their feed, and whenever you want to excite the atonic stomach. By contrast, in people suffering from stomach hypersecretion is not recommended either this plant or any other, but rather must get used to bland foods, little spicy, so as not to over-stimulate the stomach.

ADMINISTRATION

Infusion. 15 sheets of laurel pour in 1 liter hot water. Filter after 10 minutes, sweeten the liquid with some sugar and then drink it.
Bath. In a tub of hot water is poured the liquid obtained after marinate for a day or 400g. Fruit and bay leaves. This bath before bedtime prepares the body for a peaceful rest and prolonged.
Liniment. With laurel oil obtained from the berries can be prepared a liniment. This will macerate the fruit in a cup of olive oil. After 20 days, are crushed and filtered through a cloth. This oil should be stored away from light and is applied by brushing on painful part.

SUMMARY

FAMILY: Lauraceae
HABITAT: Shady areas and coastal wetlands
FLOWERING: Spring
PART USED: Leaves and fruit
CASTILIAN: Lloreo
CATALAN: Llorer, llor
BASQUE: Ereñotz, ereño

USES

Balsamic Strong, Moderate Carminative, Antiseptic Moderate.