Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

150 Cinnamomum tamala.
C
an antiepileptic and sedative agent in
drugs of TCM.
Cinnamomum tamala.
Family ◮ Lauraceae.
Habitat ◮ The subtropical Himalayas,
Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
English ◮ Indian Cassia, Lignea.
Ayurvedic ◮ Tejapatra, Patra,
Patraka, Utkat, Tamaalpatra,
Naalukaa, Naalikaa.
Unani ◮ Saleekhaa, Saazaj Hindi (Also
equated with Zarnab/Telispattar
by National Formulary of Unani
Medicine, Part I.)
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Talishpattiri (now
equated with the leaf of Abies
webbiana); Lavangappattiri.
Folk ◮ Tejpaata.
Action ◮ Leaf—Carminative,
antidiarrhoeal, spasmolytic, antirheumatic,
hypoglycaemic.
Essential oil—fungicidal.
The oil from bark contains cinnamaldehyde
(70–85%) as major constituent.
(See.C.cassia.) Leaves from
Nepal yield a volatile oil, containing
mainly linalool 54.66%; cinnamaldehyde
1.16%, alpha-and beta-pinene, pcymene
and limonene.
Cinnamomum wighti Meissn. is also
equated with Tejapatra. The bud,
known as Sirunaagappoo in Siddha/
Tamil, is used as Naagakeshara (black
var.). (Naagakeshara is obtained from
Mesua ferra and Dillenia pentagyne.)
C. impressinervium Meissn. (Sikkim)
and C. obtusifolium (Roxb.) Nees
(the Central and Eastern Himalayas up
to 2,100 m, Assam and Andaman Islands)
are related species of Cinnamomum.
The leaves and bark contain cinnamaldehyde.
Dosage ◮ Dried leaves—1–3 g
powder. (API Vol. I.)
Cinnamomum zeylanicum.
Synonym ◮ C. verum Persl.
Family ◮ Lauraceae.
Habitat ◮ Western Ghats at low
levels. Plantations of cinnamon are
confined to Kerala State.
English ◮ Cinnamon, Ceylon
Cinnamon.
Ayurvedic ◮ Tvak, Daaruchini,
Chochaa, Choncha, Varaanga,
Utkata, Daarusitaa (bark).
Unani ◮ Daarchini (bark).
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Elavangappattai.
Folk ◮ Daalchini.
Action ◮ Bark—carminative, astringent,
antispasmodic, expectorant,
haemostatic, antiseptic. Leaf—
antidiabetic. Ground cinnamon is
used in diarrhoea and dysentery;
for cramps of the stomach, gastric
irritation; for checking nausea
and vomiting; used externally in
toothache, neuralgia and rheumatism.
The bark is included in
medicinal preparations for indigestion,
flatulence, flu, mothwashes,
gargles, herbal teas.