The genus Cinnamomum

66 P.N. Ravindran et al.
Crop Improvement
Genetic resources, varieties
Based on leaf morphology, bark pungency, grittiness of the bark and leaves, eight
different types of cinnamon are recognised by growers in Sri Lanka (Wijesekera et al.,
1975; Anon, 1996). They are (in Sinhalese):
Pani Kurundu or Pat kurundu or Mapat kurundu, Naga kurundu, Pani Miriskurundu,
Weli kurundu, Sewala (sevel) Kurundu, Kahata kurundu, Penirasa kurundu, Pieris
kurundu.
In addition, there are 19 selections, identified after screening 210 accessions by the
Department of Export Agriculture of Sri Lanka. These selections are being popularised.
The Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) at Calicut (Kerala, India) maintains 300
accessions of cinnamon and related taxa. This collection comprises lines from the cinnamon
estates of Ancharakandi (Kannur District, Kerala; one of the oldest cinnamon
estates in Asia, established by the British in nineteenth century and raised from seeds
brought from Ceylon) the Mangalamcarp estate of Wynad (Kerala) and plants raised
from selected trees of a few other collections existing in Kerala. Twelve lines introduced
from Sri Lanka during the 1970s also form part of the collection of IISR. Apart from
cinnamon, 35 lines of Chinese cassia (C. cassia) developed from the open pollinated
progenies of cassia trees introduced during the early 1950s from China and maintained
at the Srikundra Estate (under Brook Bond Tea Ltd.) at Valparai (Tamil Nadu), are also
being conserved. At the Aromatic and Medicinal Plants Research Station of Kerala
Agricultural University, Odakkali, Kerala, 236 lines of cinnamon are being maintained.
These lines are mainly derived from seed progenies of the material maintained
at Ancharakandi. The collections at IISR and KAU (as well as other collections derived
from these sources) have been analysed for genetic variability with a view to develop
better lines. Flavonoid analysis (Shylaja, 1984; Ravindran et al., 1992) indicated
absolute similarity between C. verum collections cultivated in India and those introduced
from Sri Lanka, illustrating the common origin of both.
In India, at IISR, 291 lines of cinnamon (all originally raised from open pollinated
seeds from selected mother plants) were evaluated for quality characteristics such as
bark oil, oleoresin and leaf oil and nine elite lines were identified. Clonal progenies of
some of these lines with high quality parameters were evaluated in replicated trials
Table 2.10 Yield and quality characteristics of elite cinnamon lines
Lines Shoot Fresh bark Dry bark Bark Bark Bark Leaf
production/ yield yield recovery oil oleoresin oil
year (gm) (gm) % % % %
SL 53 15.60 256.05 100.0 33.0 2.8 10.0 3.0
SL 63 (Navashree) 25.5 489.0 201.0 40.0 2.7 8.0 2.8
SL 65 23.0 469.0 187.0 37.0 1.0 8.6 2.7
IN 189 18.9 511.0 195.0 31.7 2.7 10.0 3.0
(Nithyashree)
IN 203 18.2 314.0 123.0 31.0 2.9 9.0 1.7
Source: Krishnamoorthy et al., 1996.