Prunus laurocerasus L.

Evergreen, wide spreading shrub or tree, up to c. 10 m high when mature, not armed, glabrous or almost so; trunks often several, usually short, often forming large thickets. Lf petiole 5–10–(12) mm long; blade coriaceous, oblanceolate to narrow-elliptic or narrow-oblong, (75)–90–150–(180) × (23)–30–50–(55) mm, acute to very short-acuminate but often splitting at tip and appearing emarginate, especially when dried, cuneate to rounded at base, shining above with prominent paler veins, less shining below; margin somewhat recurved, ± entire toward base, with distant, short, acute teeth toward apex; stipules long-triangular, deciduous. Infl. an axillary or terminal, erect, dense raceme (80)–100–(120) mm long, with 20–30–(35) fragrant fls; pedicels 2–2.5–(5) mm long, elongating slightly after anthesis. Hypanthium broad; sepals broadly triangular, c. 1 mm long, acute, green, ± erect. Petals 5, spreading, orbicular, 2.5–5 × 2–4 mm, rounded, greenish white to cream. Stamens > petals; filaments pale. Fr. c. 10 mm long, ovoid, glabrous, dark purple, very bitter; stone smooth.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Aug.–Sep.; Fruiting: Nov.–Jan.