Laurus nobilis

Greek
Spanish Laurel
Basque Ereinotza

Homero Odisea IX 186

Hesodo Teog. XXX; Trab y das 435 ss
Pausanias VIII 20,2

Teofrasto II 1,3; II 5,6; III 7,3; IV 13,7

Virgilio 45-55
Ovidio Met. I 452-600

Dioscrides I,78; I 40
Plinio XIII 152-157; XV 130,134, 137; XXIV 132
Suetonio Galba I

 ,
,
,

,

When we had reached the nearby shore, we saw a

deep cave overhung with laurels at the cliffs edge
close to the sea. Large herds of sheep and goats
were penned there at night, and round it was a
raised yard walled by deep-set stones, tall pines
and high-crowned oaks.

Daphne was a beautiful Nymph who loved to hunt, she was

created by Gaea and Peneus.
Daphne was the first love of Apollo, when Apollo saw Daphne for
the first time, he got struck by the arrows of Eros and madly fell in
love with her. However, Daphne was rather indifferent to Apollo
and tried to flee. But Apollo didnt want to give up.
The poor girl, in order to escape from him and to protect her
virginity, pleaded for help from her father, Peneus drew back to
Daphne's prayers and transformed the nymph into a nice short
plant with excellent smell called laurel.

FOOD The plant is the source of several popular herbs and

one spice used in a wide variety of recipes, particularly among
Mediterranean cuisines. Leaves can be sharp and abrasive enough
to damage internal organs, so they are typically removed from
dishes before serving.
TRADITIONAL MEDICINE In massage therapy, the essential
oil of bay laurel is reputed to alleviate arthritis and rheumatism,
while in aromatherapy, it is used to treat earaches and high blood
pressure.

Side effects Gastritis

and skin irritation.