The genus Cinnamomum

200 Akhil Baruah and Subhan C. Nath
Figure 8.1 A Cinnamomum tamala tree.
C. tamala type 1
This is a medium-sized evergreen tree, up to 7.5 m high with zigzag branching; trunk
up to 95 cm girth; bark rather rough, dark grey to reddish-brown, darkening on
exposure; leaves alternate, sub-opposite or opposite on the same twig, coriaceous,
glabrous, shining above, dark green, pale below, pink when young, strictly ovate to
ovate-lanceolate, apex acute to sharply acuminate, base acute to obtusely acute, variable
in size, 2–4.5 6.5–11.5 cm, triplinerved, lateral nerves not reaching the tip, insertion
basal to suprabasal, midrib moderate to stout, 2º veins distinct, sub-parallel.
Petiole up to 1.3 cm long, concave above; panicle sub-terminal to axillary, equal to the
leaves or slightly exceeding them, stout, pale yellow, silky pubescent, glabrate with age;
flowers 5–7 mm long, pedicel 3 mm long, perianth 3 3, elliptic-ovate-lanceolate,
sub-equal, outer 2.5 mm long, inner 2–2.5 mm long, silky pubescent on both surfaces,
longitudinally brown-ribbed. Stamens 3 3 3, 1.5–2 m long, anther four-locular,