The genus Cinnamomum

Other Useful Species of Cinnamomum 351
The leaves, when crushed, smell of aniseed (safrole) and cloves (eugenol). The leaves and
bark are used as a spice for flavouring certain dishes. Powdered bark is used as a base
material in the manufacturing of incense sticks
C. nicolsonianum Manilal and Shylaja
C. nicolsonianum Manilal and Shylaja, Bull. Bot. Sur. India, 28, 111–113, 1986.
This is a very rare and endangered species having large leaves and very small axillary
panicles that are few flowered. The species originates from a low elevation forest of
Western Ghats. The tree is extremely rare and is possibly on the verge of extinction
(Manilal and Shylaja, 1986). Biosystematics of this species was studied by Shylaja (1984).
C. oliverii FM Bailey
C. oliverii FM Bailey is Bull –18, Dept. Agri. & Stock, Brisbane (Dept. Agri. Bot. Bull.10)
24, 1895; Catal. Queensland woods No.315, 1899; in Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland 11(1),
24, 1895; Compreh. Cat. Queensland Pl. 431, f-418, 1913. This species is indigenous
to Australia (Queensland). The bark is aromatic and is used as a spice in Australia,
where it is used as a substitute for cassia bark. It is commonly known as Olivers bark.
The other Cinnamomum species having local importance in South Asia are listed in
Table 15.17.
In South-East Asia and the Far East regions many species of Cinnamomum are used
locally as spice or for timber purposes. The important ones (other than those described
earlier) are given in Table 15.18.
White cinnamon (Canella alba, Canellaceae)
White cinnamon is not a member of the genus Cinnamomum, but is Canella alba, a
member of Canellaceae. It is a medium sized tree, occurring in the Caribbian Islands
(West Indies). The bark of this tree is whitish in colour. The leaves are alternate,
oblong, thick, shining and laurel green. The flowers are small, and cluster on the shoot
apex. The fruit is an oblong berry containing four kidney shaped seeds.
Table 15.17 Useful Cinnamomum species from South Asia
Species Remarks
C. assamicum Baruah Newly reported from N.E. region of India. Main
component of essential oil is benzyl benzoate.
C. perrottettii Meissn. A high elevation species in Western Ghats, leaves and
young twigs are tomentose.
C. riparium Gamble Found at low elevation forests in south India, in valleys
and river banks; its timber is useful.
C. travancoricum Gamble A mountain species, on Western Ghats; leaves are pilose;
its timber is useful.
C. dubium Nees Wild cinnamon of Sri Lanka used as a timber tree.
(C. multiflorum (Roxb.) Wight
C. villosum Wight,
C. thwaitesii de Lukmanoff)
C. litsaefolium Thw. Timber tree, tallest of the Sri Lankan Cinnamomum spp.