Common Name: Indian Laurel

General Information

Litsea glutinosa can be deciduous or evergreen[]. A small to medium-sized tree growing 3 - 20 metres tall, it has a straight or curved, unbuttressed bole up to 60cm in diameter[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and for a range of commodities. It is a commonly used medicinal herb in India, where it is gathered in quantity from the wild for local use and for trade[]. The wood is used locally and also traded with other Litsea species as a source of 'medang'.
Litsea glutinosa is a wide-spread and common species. Although there has been a decline in its area of occupancy and extent of occurrence, as well as a loss of quality of its habitat, these are considered insufficient to threaten the plant on a global scale. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - southern China, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines to Australia.

Habitat

Forest margins, streamsides, sparse forests or thickets at elevations of 500 - 1,900 metres[]. Mixed primary and secondary forest and thickets[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

The fruits have a sweet creamy edible pulp[].

Medicinal

The feebly balsamic, mucilaginous bark is one of the best known and most popular of native drugs in India. It was probably adopted by Muhammadan physicians in India as a substitute for an Arabian drug, called Maghath, the botanical source of which is uncertain. It is largely employed as a demulcent and mild astringent in the treatment of diarrrhoea and dysentery, and is also esteemed as an aphrodisiac[, ]. A decoction of the bark is used in the treatment of intestinal catarrh[].
Freshly ground, the bark can be used either dry, or triturated in water or milk, as an emollient application to bruises, and as a styptic dressing for wounds. It is also supposed to be anodyne, and to act as a local antidote to the bites of venomous animals[, ].
The root bark and leaves are used medicinally in China to reduce fever, reduce swelling, and treat diarrhoea[]. They also may be used for treating furunculosis[].
The leaves, and the mucilage in the gum from the bark, have been used for making poultices[].

The oil from the berries is used in the treatment of rheumatism[].
The pounded seeds are applied externally against boils[].

The leaves are mucilaginous and have a pleasant odour of cinnamon[]

Other Uses

The bark and wood contain gluten and may be used as binders[].

The seed core contains around 50% of oil, which is used to make soap[].
The seeds contain an aromatic oil which has been used to make candles and soap[]. Although it says aromatic oil, if it is actually referring to making candles then it probably refers to a fixed oil - essential oils will only be used to add a pleasant aroma[].

An extract of the bark is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].
An extract of the leaves is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a humectant and skin conditioner[].

The roots yield fibres that are used for rope manufacture and for paper pulp[].

The yellow-brown to olive-grey wood is close and even-grained, the grain is slightly crossed in narrow bands; the texture is fine and dense. The wood is moderately hard, moderately heavy, durable, not attacked by insects. It seasons well. It is used for making furniture[, , ].
There are a number of tree species (including this one) from southeast Asia that are in the family Lauraceae and produce a useful timber that is either not distinct enough in itself, or is in insufficient supply, to warrant being traded individually. These various species have been lumped together under the trade name ‘medang’[, ].
We do not have any more specific information of the wood from this species, but a general description of medang timber is as follows:-
The heartwood is very variable, from light-straw to red-brown and olive brown; the sapwood is ill-defined. The texture is moderately fine but even; the grain interlocked or wavy; the surface dull. The wood is soft to moderately hard, not very durable. It is easy to slightly difficult to resaw, and easy to moderately easy to cross-cut; easy to plane and the surface produced is smooth to moderately smooth. It is suitable for decorative work such as interior finishing, panelling, furniture and cabinet making. It is also suitable for plywood manufacture, whilst the heavier species are suitable for medium construction under cover[, ].

Propagation

Seed - germination is not very rapid, approximately 85% germination is achieved in 15 - 45 days[].

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