The genus Cinnamomum

9 Camphor Tree
K. Nirmal Babu, P.N. Ravindran and M. Shylaja
Introduction
The camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) grows naturally in China, Japan, Taiwan
and in the adjoining regions of South-East Asia, its natural habitat extending up to the
sub-Himalayan regions of India. It is also cultivated in many tropical and sub-tropical
countries. The camphor tree has become naturalised in Australia, where it is regarded
as a tree weed. It was introduced into Europe possibly in the seventeenth century.
In 1676, the tree was planted in Holland, and subsequently in other West European
countries (Morton, 1977). In the decades that followed the camphor tree found its way
to the Philippines, Eastern and Southern Africa, Queensland, central America, Cuba,
Trinidad and the USA (Florida, Texas, California). It is common in the gardens in Ceylon,
India and Malaysia. It grows best between 1000–1800 m elevation, under a rainfall of
120–400 cm per year. The camphor tree is commercially cultivated in Taiwan, Japan
and eastern China, and to some extent in India.
Before the First World War, Taiwan (formerly Formosa) was the major producer and
exporter of camphor. China was another producer, but the produce was consumed
internally. Due to unrestricted exploitation, natural stands of camphor trees have dwindled,
and subsequently plantations were established, initially in Taiwan and later in
Japan. Since 1990 large plantations have also been established in China.
Little information is available on the production figures of camphor and camphor oil.
Taiwan, Japan and China are the major producers. Japan used to produce several thousand
tonnes of camphor annually, but the whole Japanese camphor industry declined as
a result of the entry of synthetic camphor into the world market. Eventually camphor
oil (the residual liquid left after crystallisation of camphor) became the most valuable
product from the camphor tree, as it contains most of the volatile aromatic compounds.
Taxonomical Features
Windadri and Rahayu (1999) provide the following description of the camphor tree.
Camphor trees are evergreen, aromatic, medium to large trees reaching 15 to 30 m
height. (Fig. 9.1). The tree has an extensive shallow root system; short and stout trunk,
bark deeply furrowed, crown spreading, twigs brown, yellowish or pinkish when
young; twigs are glabrous, buds stout, ovoid, pubescent, with many imbricate scales.
Leaves alternate, aromatic, petiole slender, 1.5–3 cm long. Leaf blade broadly ovateelliptic
to oblong-lanceolate, base obtuse, margin slightly undulate, apex acute or
acuminate, chartaceous, deep green, shiny, glabrous above, glabrous or sparsely hairy
0-415-31755-X/04/$0.00 $1.50
© 2004 by CRC Press LLC