SPOTTED LAUREL

GOLD DUST PLANT [America]

Aucuba Japonica

Spotted-Laurel Family [Garryaceae]

25th April 2010, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

In a garden setting, with bits of Forsythia poking through. Leaves lightish green spotted in gold spots.

28th April 2010, Wistanstow, Shropshire.

Photo: © RWD

New growth is light green and bolt-upright, and mostly hides the small inconspicuous flowers from view.

25th April 2010, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

Large red berries do not appear on every bush. Newleaf growth accompanied by sprigs of unobtrusive beetroot coloured flowers. Not all plants flower.

25th April 2010, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

Berries larger than Rowan berries but smaller than cherries.

25th April 2010, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

Flowers quite small and dark red to beetroot in colour, easily over-looked amonsgst the prominent bright-green new foliage. Four petals, pointed at the tips.

25th April 2010, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

The centres of the flowers are green at first and shaped like the small nipples on clothes fasteners. They later turn towards a cream hue. Unopened buds are like split cotter pins. The petals have a tendency to curve outwards.

25th April 2010, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

Inconspicuous flowers at close range. Un-opened bud top left.

Sept 2002, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

New leaf growth without accompanying berries, but the dark flowers can just be discerned. Leaves are spotted with irregular-shaped golden-yellow blobs, as if spray-painted with a spluttering gun.

7th May 2010, a garden in Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

The petals bend over backwards revealing the translucent green stud in the centre shaped like the nipple part of a two-part clothing fastener. The flowers are on stubby stalks with a crimped node just a few millimeters below. The swelling below the petals may turn into the berry.

7th May 2010, a garden in Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

Super-close-up. They are not that large.

Some similarities to : Laurel, but that belongs to the Laurel Family rather than the Spotted-Laurel Family to which Spotted Laurel belongs.

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : The irregular golden splotches on the large light-green leaves.

No relation to : Spurge-Laurel which belongs to the Spurge Family nor to Cherry Laurel which belongs to the Rose Family [plants with similar names]

More likely to be found growing in a garden than growing wild.

IRIDOID GLYCOGENS & THEIR AGLYCONES

Spotted Laurel is slightly toxic, containing the iridoid glucoside Aucubin. The aglycone of Aucubin, Aucubigenin, is liberated from Aucubin by enzymes within the plant which are released upon damage to the plant; this being a defensive mechanism from anything which dare eat it. When Spotted Laurel is consumed, the Aucubigenin is released which is then transformed by bacteria within the gut to the pyridine monoterpenes Aucubinine A and Aucubinine B. The main change has been the substitution of oxygen by nitrogen within the six-membered ring, and the removal of the hydrogen atom on the upper hydroxyl group.

Not to be confused with: Bog-Laurel, Spurge-Laurel, Mountain-Laurel or Portugal Laurel [plants with similar names].

ANY TEXT GOES HERE

Distribution
family8Spotted-Laurel family8Garryaceae

BSBI maps

Aucuba