Description

Litsea cubeba, the aromatic litsea or may chang, is an evergreen tree or shrub 5–12 meters high in the family Lauraceae. It is native to China, Indonesia, Taiwan and other parts of Southeast Asia. It produces a fruit which is processed for its lemony essential oil, and the oil can also be extracted from the leaf. The timber is sometimes used for making furniture and crafts. Plant parts are also used in medicine. In addition, the specific scents from Lauraceae species have made the laurel family economically important as a source of medicine, spices, and perfumes. A diverse array of terpenoids, mainly monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, defines the scents of different species in Lauraceae.