The Calycanthaceae, commonly called the spicebush or sweetshrub family, contains only four genera and about 11 species. It is in the order Laurales, a fairly ancient order with highly diverged morphology comprising seven families including the Calycanthaceae and the Lauraceae (laurel family). This family includes small trees and shrubs that bear essential oils and have opposite, leathery leaves and medium- to large-sized flowers that are solitary and terminal on short shoots. The flowers range in color from white to red and have undifferentiated perianth parts called tepals. The members of the family are distributed in temperate to subtropical. eastern Asia and North America. All species have aromatic bark, and fragrant flowers are also common. Some  Calycanthus species are grown for their ornamental value, and some contain an alkaloid similar to strychnine that is toxic to humans.