The genus Cinnamomum

Table 9.3 Yield of camphor and oil from different parts of camphor tree types
Camphor Tree 221
Roots Trunk Bough, twigs Whole tree
Camphor % Camphor Cam. % Cam. Cam. % Cam. Cam. % Cam.
oil % oil % oil % oil %
Hon-Sho 1.02 1.87 0.67 1.53 0.47 1.07 0.80 1.60
Ho-Sho – 3.43 – 2.26 – 0.91 – 2.40
Leaves of – – – – – – 0.7 0.4
Hon-Sho
Table 9.4 Average yield of camphor and oil from trees of different heights
Ht. above Hon-Sho tree Ho-Sho tree
ground (m) 120-years old 120-years old
pinene was also started using the following synthetic route: pinene : bornyl chloride
: camphene : camphor. However, in the post-war years the Formosan camphor
industry suffered a set back due to the large scale production of synthetic camphor
by the USA. The Formosan camphor oil (Taiwan camphor oil) is still an important
product of international trade.
The Chinese camphor industry
Dia. (cm) Camphor % Camphor oil % Diameter Ho-Sho oil
0.30 107.3 1.73 2.24 109.1 2.68
3.03 80.6 1.11 1.61 74.5 2.19
6.67 71.8 0.82 1.26 67.9 1.72
12.12 54.5 0.48 0.81 60.9 1.55
15.76 40.0 0.17 0.58 51.8 1.47
19.39 24.2 0.06 0.34 42.4 1.26
21.21 23.0 0.02 0.22 39.7 0.98
23.03 21.2 – – 34.5 0.89
26.66 11.2 – – 26.1 0.56
30.30 – – – 17.3 0.27
Source: Guenther, 1950.
Table 9.5 Main fractions of Hon-Sho and Ho-Sho oils
Camphor % White Ho oil % Brown Terpineol % Blue Pitch %
oil % oil % oil %
Hon-Sho oil 50 22 – 20 2 2 2
Ho-Sho oil 40 18 20 13 2 2 2
The Chinese camphor industry was dependent on natural stands of the ‘Hon-Sho’ variety.
In China camphor trees occur south of the Yangtse river, in the provinces of Kiangsi,
Chekiang, Fukren, Hunan, Kwangtung and Kwangsi. All three varieties – Hon-Sho,
Ho-Sho and Yu-Sho – occur under natural stands, and for centuries only Hon-Sho trees were