Scientific Name: Cinnamomum verum J.Presl

Synonyms: Cinnamomum antillarum Lukmanoff, Cinnamomum aromaticum J. Grah.

Unique ID: 49

Systematic Position

Class: Dicotyledonae

Sub Class:Monochlamydae                     

Series: Daphnales

Family: Lauraceae

Common Names

English – Sri Lanka Cinnamon, Ceylon Cinnamon

Malayalam – എടന

Tamil – Karuva

Hindi – Dalchini

Description: Trees, to 20 m high, bark 8-10 mm thick, brown, rough, cracks vertical; blaze creamy pink; bole buttressed; branchlets glabrous. Leaves simple, opposite or subopposite, estipulate; petiole 8-20 mm, stout, glabrous, slightly grooved above; lamina 9.5-14 x 3.5-5.5 cm, ovate, elliptic ovate or elliptic-lanceolate, base acute, apex acute to acuminate, margin entire, glabrous, coriaceous, 3-ribbed from base, prominent, glabrous; lateral nerves 3-6 pairs, obscure, pinnate; intercostae reticulate. Flowers bisexual, in terminal and axillary, pedicel 7 mm long, pale yellow, 5 mm long, 6 mm across; perianth 8 mm, silky, tube campanulate, lobes 6, 3 mm long, oblong-lanceolate; stamens 9 perfect, those of first and second rows opposite the perianth lobes, introrse and eglandular, those of third row opposite the first row, lateral, bearing 2 large glands at the base; staminodes 3, of the forth row opposite the second row, cordate and stipitate; ovary half inferior, sessile. Fruit a berry, 1-2 cm, ellipsoid to oblong-ovoid, dark purple, surrounded by the enlarged perianth. Flowering and fruiting: March-April

Habitat: Evergreen and riparian forests, also cultivated

Distribution:  South West India and Sri Lanka

Uses:  Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Folk medicine; spice and condmiments