Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume - Accepted: Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume bei Zander 2008; Familie: Lauraceae (Zander 2008)
Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume - Accepted: Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume bei The Plant List (2010); Familie: Lauraceae (APG III)
Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume - Accepted: Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume bei The Plant List (2014), version 1.1; Familie: Lauraceae (APG III)
Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume - Accepted: Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume bei The Plant List (2014), version 1.1; Familie: Lauraceae (APG IV)

Color of flower

yellowish

Flowers

dioecious; flowers with aromatic scent

Flower ecology

insect-pollinated (entomophilous)

Life form

shrub

Leaves

thin, alternate, obovate to elliptic, 6-15 cm long

Foliage persistence

deciduous

Fruits

red drupe with one large seed

Fruit ecology

animal-dispersed (endozoochorous)

Soil conditions

preferentially on moist, rich, acidic to basic soils

Natural occurrence (habitat)

low woodlands, swamp margins, streamsides

Natural propagation (all types)

vegetative reproduction through root sprouting

Constraints according radiation (light)

shade tolerant

Chemical characters

contains essential oils

Usage

dried fruits can be used as a spice and leaves for tea; due to anti-arthritic, diaphoretic, and emetic properties extracts have been used medicinally and for herbal steam

Phytopathogenic organisms

caterpillars of the spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) feed on the leaves

Erhardt, W., Götz, E., Bödeker, N. & Seybold, S. (2008): Der große Zander. Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen. Band 2. Arten und Sorten. Eugen Ulmer KG, Stuttgart (Hohenheim), 18. Aufl., 2103 S.;

Nesom, G. (2010): Spicebush. USDA Plant Guide. United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service. See: https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_libe3.pdf;

The International Plant Names Index (2009). Published on the Internet http://www.ipni.org; Courtesy to IPNI, 2009. Exported from IPNI at date: 2009-09-22 20:17:51;