Apollonias barbujana

Large tree, up to 30 m tall in optimal conditions. It has a heavy trunk that quickly branches into a leafy, evergreen crown. The bark is smooth and reddish in young trees, but becomes greyish brown, rough and cracked in older specimens. It often has shoots at the base (suckers). The leaves are simple, alternate, widely lanceolate or more or less elliptical, leathery, with a pointed tip and an entire margin. They tend to be visibly marked by numerous protuberances or galls. Adult leaves are 6-9 cm long, almost 4 cm wide, and a shiny dark green. New leaves tend to be larger (> 10 cm long) and sprout with a characteristic reddish colour that helps identify the Canary laurel. When crushed, they sometimes give off a peculiar, not very intense aroma. The blossom is usually abundant. The flowers are small (1 cm), hermaphroditic, with 6 greenish-white petals and a soft, pleasant fragrance. They form inflorescences composed of abundant groups, generally of three flowers each. Externally, the fruits look like small olives, about 2 cm in length. They have a smooth, fleshy cover that holds a single seed or nutlet. They are green at first, becoming a purple-black colour when ripe.