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Date Posted: Wednesday, April 07, 12:16:05pm
Author: Judy C.
Subject: Re: The mountain laurel and the Mediterranean laurel are not the same species. However ...
In reply to: Beverly 's message, "The mountain laurel and the Mediterranean laurel are not the same species. However ..." on Wednesday, April 07, 04:28:22am

Way to go, Bev! You sure do your homework, and I found that very interesting information.


>>ever cook with bay leaves? thats mountain laurel. and
>>mine eat it every day for years now. the flower is
>>toxic i assume but not the leaves or bark. sorry.
>
>(The mountain laurel and the Mediterranean laurel are
>not the same species. However ...) I love to cook,
>and would be most happy to send you a zip-loc
>bag of a nice fresh tomato sauce, made with mountain
>laurel leaves, instead of Mediterranean laurel ("bay")
>leaves, Greg! And to accompany your meal, may I
>suggest a nice tall glass of iced wild cherry tea?
>
>While the Mediterranean laurel (or "bay leaf
>tree")(Laurus nobilis) is indeed used in
>cooking, it's highly recommended that one be sure to
>remove bay leaves before eating a dish that has
>finished cooking. The whole leaves are used to impart
>flavor only and are bitter and hard to chew. This
>'herb' laurel is not a New World native, and is not
>hardy in New England.
>
>The NE native laurel is the Mountain laurel,
>(Kalmia latifoliaof the Family
>Ericaceae), and is most poisonous. It's one of
>the shrubs, much like the NE native wild cherry
>(Prunus serotina) , that one plants, when one
>does not have livestock. What browsing wildlife, like
>deer, can eat is not necessarily safe for other
>creatures. Flying squirrels are not deer. The
>mountain laurel leaves possess narcotic poisoning
>properties and contain tannic acid, gum, fatty matter,
>chlorophyll, a substance resembling mannite, wax
>extractive, albumen, an acrid principle,
>Aglucosidearbutin, yellow calcium iron. In fact, it's
>said that Native North Americans used a tea of
>mountain laurel when they wished to commit suicide!
>In the lower animals an injection produces great
>salivation, lachrymation, emesis, convulsions and
>later paralysis of the extremities and laboured
>respiration. It is supposed, but not proved, that the
>poisonous principle of this plant is Andromedotoxin.
>Related species include Kalmia augusfifolia -
>aka Sheep's Laurel, Lambkill, or Narrow-leaved Laurel,
>so called because it poisons sheep, which feed on its
>leaves. A poisonous glucoside is found in the leaves
>of this species called asebotoxin, and also in K.
>latifolia. K. Glauca, or Swamp Laurel, has
>similar properties. It is also a N.Am. native plant,
>and again, it is a danger to livestock.
>
>For further reading, visit rel=nofollow target=_blank >href="http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/l/laumou1
>2.html">Botanical.com and rel=nofollow target=_blank >href="http://www.culinarycafe.com/Spices_Herbs/Bay_Leav
>es.html">Culinary Cafe

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