Daphne Roman poet Ovid does a retelling of this Greek legend, which appears in his work Metamorphoses. The pursuit of a local nymph by an Olympian god, part of the archaic adjustment of religious cult in Greece, was given an arch anecdotal turn in the "Metamorphoses" by the Roman poet Ovid (died AD 17). According to this version Apollo's infatuation was caused by a golden-tipped arrow shot at him by Cupid, son of Venus, who wanted to punish Apollo for having insulted his archery skills by commenting "What hast thou to do with the arms of men, thou wanton boy?", and
Laurel forest water despite the humidity, allowing perspiration and respiration. The scientific names "laurina", "laurifolia", "laurophylla", "lauriformis", and "lauroides" are often used to name species of other plant families that resemble the Lauraceae. The term "Lucidophyll", referring to the shiny surface of the leaves, was proposed in 1969 by Tatuo Kira. The scientific names "Daphnidium", "Daphniphyllum", "Daphnopsis", "Daphnandra", "Daphne" from Greek: Δάφνη, meaning "laurel", "laural", "Laureliopsis", "laureola", "laurelin", "Laurelindorinan", "laurifolia", "Cistus laurifolius" (Laurel Rockrose), "laurifolius", "lauriformis", "laurina", "laurophylla", "laurocerasus", "laurus", "Prunus laurocerasus" (English laurel), "Prunus lusitanica" (Portugal laurel), "Corynocarpus laevigatus" (New Zealand Laurel), and "Corynocarpus rupestris" designate species of other plant families