Laurus nobilis; laurel; noble laurel; victoris laurel

Japanese: ゲッケイジュ(月桂樹) - ゲッケイジュ（英語表記）Laurus nobilis; laurel; noble laurel; victoris laurel

An evergreen tall tree of the Lauraceae family. Native to southern Europe, it was introduced to Japan during the Meiji period and is planted in various places. It can reach a height of 12 meters. The leaves are alternate, oblong, hard, and dark green, with green twigs. It is dioecious. It produces small yellow flowers in the spring and oval purple fruits around October. The leaves contain essential oils and are dried for use in fragrances and cooking. There is a tradition of making rings from its branches as a symbol of victory in battle or honor in the Olympic Games. It is easily confused with the olive, a symbol of peace, but the olive has thin leaves that grow opposite each other.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

クスノキ科の常緑高木。南ヨーロッパ原産で，日本には明治年間に渡来して各地に植えられている。高さ 12mに及ぶ。葉は互生し，長楕円形で硬く，深緑色，小枝は緑色である。雌雄異株。春に黄色の小花を生じ，10月頃，楕円形の紫色の果実をつける。葉は精油を含み，乾燥して香料，料理用とする。この枝でつくった輪を戦勝やオリンピック競技の名誉の表象とするならわしがある。平和の象徴であるオリーブとまちがいやすいが，オリーブは葉が細く対生である。

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