Mayang laurel tree
Litsea umbellata

Family: Lauraceae

What it is like

A shrub. It keeps its leaves throughout the year. It grows up to 6 m high. The leaves are alternate. They are oval and rough. They have a prominent midrib. They are 8-12 cm long by 2.3-4 cm wide. The leaf stalk is 5-10 mm long. The flower head comes from the axils of leaves. It has a short stalk. The flowers are separately male and female on the same plant. There are 1-5 flowers together. They are very small and yellow. The fruit is round and 5-6 mm across.

There are 200 or 400 Litsea species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It is found in moist places in evergreen forest. In China it grows in open forests between 300-1000 m altitude in southern China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, China, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The young leaves are served raw. The mature leaves are put into curries. The juice extracted from the leaves is put into rice to give it a green colour.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Boiloi dang, Fan plaa, Mo long, Nham sang, Pohon medang mayang, San hua mu jiang zi, Thingan-pwe

Synonyms

Hexanthus umbellatus Loureiro; Litsea amara Blume; Litsea hexanthus Jussieu; Tetranthera amara Nees;