The genus Cinnamomum

Table 15.7 Composition of essential oil from C. impressinervium
Component %
Benzaldehyde t
-Pinene 0.50
Camphene t
-Pinene 0.10
Myrcene t
-Phellandrene 1.3
p-Cymene 0.60
1,8-Cineole 0.20
-Phellandrene t
-Terpene t
-3-Carene 1.60
Limonene 4.10
Guaiacol 0.10
-Terpineol 0.30
Eugenol 88.30
(E)-methyl cinnamate t
-Caryophyllene 0.10
Eugenyl acetate 1.10
(E)-ethylcinnamate 0.50
(Z)-methylisoeugenol 0.70
-Furnescene 0.20
Caryophyllene oxide 0.10
Source: Nath et al., 1999.
Note
t: trace.
Other Useful Species of Cinnamomum 339
1931; Sonohara et al. Fl. Okinowa 57, 1957; Fl. Japan 555 1953 (see Kostermans
(1964) for complete citation).
This is a Japanese species studied in detail chemically by Masada (1976). He reported
around 49 compounds, though the prominent ones were p-cymene and 1,8-cineole in
the twigs and leaves, while l-linalool formed an important component in branchlets
(Table 15.8).
Okada (1975) investigated the cytology of this species. The somatic chromosome
number is 2n:24, and the chromosomes are distinguishable by their morphological characteristics.
The cytological characteristics exhibited bear resemblance to C. camphora,
except for the variation in heterochromatin distribution of the seventh and tenth pairs of
chromosomes.
C. kanahirai Hay.
C. kanahirai Hayata, Icon. Pl. Formos, 3: 159,1913; Matsumura, Shokubutsu-
Mei.,12:1915; Kanehirai, Formosan Trees, 424,1917; 203, 1936; Atlas of Formosan
Timbers, 34, 1940.
This species occurs in China and Taiwan (known as sho-Gyu in Chinese), is important
as it is one of two host trees, (the other being C. micranthum Hay.) of the famous
medicinal fungus, Antrodia camphorata (NIU-Chang-Chih, syn. Antrodia cinnamomea –
Polyporaceae). The fungus fructification is highly valued in the traditional medicine of
China, Taiwan and Thailand (Sheng Hua et al., 1997). C. kanahirai yields an essential
oil, the main constituent of which is terpinen-4-ol.