Machilus is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Lauraceae. It is found in temperate, subtropical, and tropical forest, occurring in China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Borneo, and the Philippines. It is sometimes included in the genus Persea, and currently includes about 100 species.
Machilus are evergreen trees or shrubs, some species growing as much as 30 m tall. Their entire, pinnately veined leaves are alternately borne along the stems. Their bisexual flowers are borne in inflorescences that are usually paniculate, terminal, subterminal, or arising from near base of branchlets, with long peduncles or rarely without peduncles. Perianth tubes are short; perianth lobes 6 in 2 series, equal, subequal, or occasionally outer ones conspicuously smaller than inner ones, usually persistent, rarely deciduous. Fertile stamens 9 in 3 series, anthers 4-celled, 1st and 2nd series of stamens eglandular, anthers introrse, 3rd series of stamens glandular, anthers extrorse or lateral, glands stipitate to sessile. Staminodes in 4th series, sagittate. Ovary sessile; stigmas small, dish-shaped or capitate. Fruits are fleshy, globose, rarely ellipsoid or oblong, subtended at base by persistent and reflexed perianth lobes; the fruiting pedicel does not become enlarged.
