Neutropenia is a low level of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell. All white blood cells help the body fight infection. Neutrophils fight infection by destroying harmful bacteria and fungi or yeast that invade the body. Neutrophils are made in the bone marrow.
Turns out that in this country, dried bay leaves are imported (generally from Turkey) and fresh bay leaves come from California, almost universally. And in fact, the two types of bay leaves are not even directly related. Fresh California bay leaves come from a tree that has a decidedly more potent eucalyptus flavor that can easily dominate a dish if you're not careful, while Turkish bay is much milder and more nuanced.
Bay trees (Laurus nobilis) are slow-growing evergreen trees that are indigenous to the regions in the southern Mediterranean. Bay leaves has long been used as a flavoring in Italian, French and Spanish cooking but they also have been used for their medicinal properties in liniments for arthritis and sore muscles. Bay trees can grow between 10 and 15 feet high and are hardy in the USDA Zones 8 to 10.