Laurus tamala Buchanan-Hamilton, Trans. Linn. Soc. London 13: 555. 1822.

Trees, up to 20 m tall, to 20 cm d.b.h. Bark gray-brown, scented. Branchlets tea-brown, terete, glabrous, young ones ± angled, sparsely gray puberulent initially soon glabrate. Leaves alternate or those on young branchlets sometimes subopposite; petiole 0.5-1.3 cm, slightly sulcate adaxially, glabrous; leaf blade green-white and opaque abaxially, green and shiny adaxially, ovate, oblong, or lanceolate, 7.5-15 × (2.5-)3-5.5 cm, thinly leathery, glabrous on both surfaces, triplinerved, midrib extending to leaf apex, basal lateral veins very elevated abaxially, slightly elevated adaxially, transverse veins undulate, veinlets reticulate, ± conspicuous on both surfaces, base acute or broadly cuneate, margin entire, apex long acuminate. Panicle axillary or terminal, 5-10 cm, many flowered, branched, apex of branch bearing a 3-5-flowered cyme; peduncle 1-4 cm, peduncle and rachis sparsely finely gray puberulent. Pedicels 4-6 mm, slender, finely gray puberulent. Flowers white-green, up to 6 mm. Perianth sparsely gray puberulent outside but densely so inside; perianth tube obconical, short, less than 2 mm; perianth lobes obovate-oblong, ca. 4 × 1.5 mm, obtuse. Fertile stamens 9, ca. 3.8 mm (of 1st and 2nd whorls) or ca. 4 mm (of 3rd whorl); filaments gray villous, ca. 2.5 mm, those of 3rd whorl each with 2 finely stalked ovate-cordate glands at lower 1/3, others glandless; anthers of 1st and 2nd whorls ovate-oblong, ca. 1.3 mm, with introrse cells, those of 3rd whorl oblong, ca. 1.5 mm, with extrorse cells. Staminodes 3, ca. 1.7 mm, villous, long stalked, apex triangular-sagittate. Ovary ovoid, ca. 1.2 mm, villous; style slender, ca. 3.6 mm; stigma small, inconspicuous. Fruit obovoid or ellipsoid, 10-14 mm; perianth lobes persistent on rim of cupule. Fl. Apr-May.

The dried bark is used medicinally to treat stomachache.

Mountain slopes, evergreen broad-leaved forests in valleys, watersides; 1100-2000 m. W Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Nepal].