Alexandrian laurel

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Alexandrian laurel

tree

Also known as: Calophyllum inophyllum, beach calophyllum, beauty leaf, dilo oil tree

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Also called:: beauty leaf, beach calophyllum, or dilo oil tree

Related Topics:: evergreen; dilo

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Alexandrian laurel, (Calophyllum inophyllum), evergreen plant (family Calophyllaceae) cultivated as an ornamental throughout tropical areas. Alexandrian laurel ranges from East Africa to Australia and is often cultivated near the ocean; it is resistant to salt spray and has a leaning habit. Dilo, a strongly scented medicinal oil, is extracted from the seeds, and the wood is used in building canoes.

The multibranched, often gracefully crooked tree reaches 16–19 metres (50–60 feet). Its handsome leathery, glossy leaves are oval-shaped with smooth margins. It produces upright sprays of fragrant white flowers with yellow centres of numerous stamens. The round fruit, sometimes known as a ballnut, is a drupe.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.