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
  • Camphorina cinnamomum (L.) Farw.
  • Cinnamomum alexei Kosterm.
  • Cinnamomum aromaticum J.Graham
  • Cinnamomum barthii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum bengalense Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum biafranum Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum bonplandii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum boutonii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum capense Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum cayennense Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum cinnamomum (L.) H.Karst. nom. inval.
  • Cinnamomum commersonii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum cordifolium Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum decandollei Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum delessertii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum ellipticum Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum erectum Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum humboldtii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum iners Wight nom. illeg.
  • Cinnamomum karrouwa Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum leptopus A.C.Sm.
  • Cinnamomum leschenaultii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum madrassicum Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum maheanum Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum mauritianum Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum meissneri Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum ovatum Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum pallasii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum pleei Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum pourretii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum regelii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum roxburghii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum sieberi Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum sonneratii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum vaillantii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum variabile Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum wolkensteinii Lukman.
  • Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume
  • Cinnamomum zollingeri Lukman.
  • Laurus cinnamomum L.[1]

Cinnamomum verum, called "true cinnamon tree" or Ceylon cinnamon tree 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.

Cultivars

There are several different cultivars of Cinnamomum verum based on the taste of bark:[5]

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-2721692
  2. ↑ "Cinnamon". Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2008. (species Cinnamomum zeylanicum), bushy evergreen tree of the laurel family (Lauraceae) native to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), the neighboring Malabar Coast of India, and Myanmar (Burma), and also cultivated in South America and the West Indies for the spice consisting of its dried inner bark. The bark is widely used as a spice due to its distinct odor.
  3. ↑ "In pictures: Sri Lanka's spice of life". BBC News.
  4. ↑ Iqbal, Mohammed (1993). "International trade in non-wood forest products: An overview". FO: Misc/93/11 - Working Paper. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  5. ↑ http://www.exportagridept.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=128&Itemid=159&lang=en

Further Reading

Mathew, Sindhu; Abraham, Emilia (March 2006). "Studies on the antioxidant activities of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) bark extracts, through various in vitro models". Food Chemistry 94 (4): 520. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2004.11.043. 

External links

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