Cinnamomum verum

Sri Lanka Cinnamon
C. verum foliage and flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Laurales
Family:	Lauraceae
Genus:	Cinnamomum
Species:	C. verum
Binomial name
Cinnamomum verum J.Presl
Synonyms[1]
Camphorina cinnamomum (L.) Farw. C. aromaticum J.Graham C. barthii Lukman. C. bengalense Lukman. C. biafranum Lukman. C. bonplandii Lukman. C. boutonii Lukman. C. capense Lukman. C. carolinense var. oblongum Kaneh. C. cayennense Lukman. C. cinnamomum (L.) H.Karst. nom. inval. C. commersonii Lukman. C. cordifolium Lukman. C. decandollei Lukman. C. delessertii Lukman. C. ellipticum Lukman. C. erectum Lukman. C. humboldtii Lukman. C. iners Wight [Illegitimate] C. karrouwa Lukman. C. leptopus A.C.Sm. C. leschenaultii Lukman. C. madrassicum Lukman. C. maheanum Lukman. C. mauritianum Lukman. C. meissneri Lukman. C. ovatum Lukman. C. pallasii Lukman. C. pleei Lukman. C. pourretii Lukman. C. regelii Lukman. C. roxburghii Lukman. C. sieberi Lukman. C. sonneratii Lukman. C. vaillantii Lukman. C. variabile Lukman. C. wolkensteinii Lukman. C. zeylanicum Blume nom. illeg. C. zeylanicum Breyn. C. zollingeri Lukman. Laurus cinnamomum L.

Cinnamomum verum, called "true cinnamon", Ceylon cinnamon or Sri Lanka cinnamon is a small evergreen tree belonging to the family Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka.^[2] Among other species, its inner bark is used to make cinnamon.

The old botanical synonym for the tree—Cinnamomum zeylanicum—is derived from Sri Lanka's former name, Ceylon.^[3] Sri Lanka still produces 80–90% of the world's supply of Cinnamomum verum, and it is also cultivated on a commercial scale in Seychelles and Madagascar.^[4]

Cinnamomum verum trees are 10–15 metres (32.8–49.2 feet) tall. The leaves are ovate-oblong in shape, 7–18 cm (2.75–7.1 inches) long. The flowers, which are arranged in panicles, have a greenish color, and have a distinct odor. The fruit is a purple 1-cm drupe containing a single seed.^{[citation needed]}

Species

There are several different cultivars of Cinnamomum verum based on the taste of bark:^{[citation needed]}

• Type 1 Sinhala: Pani Kurundu (පැණි කුරුඳු), Pat Kurundu (පත් කුරුඳු) or Mapat Kurundu (මාපත් කුරුඳු)
• Type 2 Sinhala: Naga Kurundu (නාග කුරුඳු)
• Type 3 Sinhala: Pani Miris Kurundu (පැණි මිරිස් කුරුඳු)
• Type 4 Sinhala: Weli Kurundu (වැලි කුරුඳු)
• Type 5 Sinhala: Sewala Kurundu (සෙවල කුරුඳු)
• Type 6 Sinhala: Kahata Kurundu (කහට කුරුඳු)
• Type 7 Sinhala: Pieris Kurundu (පීරිස් කුරුඳු)

Gallery

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  Leaves of the Cinnamomum verum plant.

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  Leaves of the Cinnamomum verum plant.

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  Bark from Cinnamomum verum plant.

References

External links

• Health: Ceylon Cinnamon in traditional medicine