Cinnamomum verum J.S. Presl (LAURACEAE) = C. zeylanicum Blume
Common names
Kannada: Dalchini, Lavanga pathre.
Tulu: Ijin.
Malayalam: Karuva.
Tamil: Ilavangam, Illavangappattai, Karruwa.
Telugu: Sanalinga.
Description: Medium-sized evergreen trees up to 10 m tall. Leaves opposite, subopposite or rarely alternate, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, up to 15 x 8 cm, rounded or acute at base, acute or acuminate at apex, 3-5-nerved; petioles up to 1.5 cm long. Flowers numerous, in silky pubescent lax panicles, bisexual. Perianth funnel-shaped, lobes 6, oblong, pubescent. Fertile stamens 9 in 3 whorls; each filament with 2 stipitate glands; anthers 4-celled; staminodes of 4th whorl cordate. The ovary is contained within the perianth tube. The fruit is a berry, oblong, approximately 1.5 centimeters in length, displaying a dark purple color, and encircled by an enlarged, bell-shaped perianth. It contains a single seed.
Flowering & Fruiting : December – July.
Distribution: India: South W. India in coastal plains and windward side of Western Ghats. Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
Uses:
- The bark and leaves serve as spices. The bark provides the widely recognized commercial cinnamon. Aromatic oil, extracted from the leaves through steam distillation, is utilized in the perfume and flavoring industries. Cinnamom is used in candy, gum, incense, dentifrices and perfumes. The timber is suitable only as a low grade board wood.
- Bark carminative, antispasmodic, stimulant, astringent and antiseptic; leaf antidiabetic; leaf and oil are used in treating anorexia, bronchial asthma, diseases of mouth, thirst, nausea, chronic cold, convulsion, tracyphonia, dental diseases, borborygmus, vomiting and as carminative. It is used in preparing “Sitopaladi Churan” given as an expectorant and in “Khattikadi Churan”.
