Barbusano
Apollonias barbujana
Family · Lauraceae · Harmless
The fourth of the great laurisilva laurels, and the one that lives in the driest and sunniest places. A smaller, harder leaf than its cousins, often with galls that deform it.
Oak woods · Uplands · Scrubland
Also known asCanary laurel wood
How to tell it
Leathery leaves five to nine centimetres, smaller and stiffer than those of laurel and til, dark green and glossy, with the edge rolled under. Many leaves carry blisters and deformities caused by a mite, which is an almost constant sign. Dark furrowed bark. Range: Madeira and the Canaries.
What it is confused with
No dangerous lookalikes known in the Iberian Peninsula.
What it is for
The wood is dark, extremely heavy and nearly rot-proof, and was the most sought after on the island for fine furniture. That demand left the species rare outside protected areas.