28-09-2016, 08:38 AM
You're right about the leaf margins on Laurus being not typically serrate (it's more of a ruffled-leaf illusion of serration) and the VMS illustrator has gone to some trouble to show the leaves as serrate. The Prunus "laurel" is serrated enough that it feels like little teeth when you run your finger along the edge.
If the drawing is intended to show one of the laurel-like plants, then emphasizing the serrations could make it clear that it's specifically not Laurus, but then the brown coloration (which is typical of dried bay laurel) and the other possible conenctions don't seem as strong.
The plant also looks like a number of North American plants but I can't think of a reason why any of them would be depicted as brown. They're generally toxic and not used as food and only somewhat used for medicinal purposes.
One thing I haven't reconciled about this VMS plant is the opposite leaves. Most of the true laurels and laurel look-alikes have lightly alternate leaves.
If the drawing is intended to show one of the laurel-like plants, then emphasizing the serrations could make it clear that it's specifically not Laurus, but then the brown coloration (which is typical of dried bay laurel) and the other possible conenctions don't seem as strong.
The plant also looks like a number of North American plants but I can't think of a reason why any of them would be depicted as brown. They're generally toxic and not used as food and only somewhat used for medicinal purposes.
One thing I haven't reconciled about this VMS plant is the opposite leaves. Most of the true laurels and laurel look-alikes have lightly alternate leaves.