Laurales
Bay laurel, Cinnamon, Avocado, and Sassafras
Ecology & Form
Woodiness
Aromatic parts
Single strand of conducting tissues continuing from the stem into the leaf
Geologic Range
Classification
├Atherospermataceae
├Calycanthaceae
├Gomortegaceae
├Hernandiaceae
├Lauraceae
├Monimiaceae
└Siparunaceae
Diversity
7 families; ~3,300 species
Diversity thought thought to be the result of habitat and geology (more than pollinators or dispersers)
Calycanthaceae
Jerseyanthus is a flower from the Cretaceous (Crepet et al. 2005)
Cupulate receptacles with recurved tepals
Carpels are free and have one seed
Fleshy stamens in pairs
Pollen disulculate
Lauraceae
Extensive fossil record from the Cenozoic; some from Late Cretaceous
Crassidenticulum: oblong leaf from Cenomanian
Ulminium wood: variable vessel-ray pitting, heterocellular rays, oil cells, vasicentric paratracheal parenychma, and small to medium pores (Scott and Wheeler, 1982)
Above: Ulminium wood (tangential view)
Above: Ulminium wood (radial view)
Mauldinia
Small, bisexual flowers from Cenomanian (Drinnan et al. 1990)
Above: Fossil Mauldinia flower
Above/Left: Fossil Sassafras leaves