Cinnamomum verum

LOCAL NAMES

Creole (kanèl); English (cinnamon tree,true cinnamon,ceylon cinnamon); French (cannelle,cannellier,cennellier de Ceylon); Hindi (elavagnum,vayana,karu va,karuwa,twak); Indonesian (kayu manis); Luganda (budalasini); Malay (kayu manis); Spanish (canelero,canela legítima,canela); Trade name (cinnamon)

BOTANIC DESCRIPTION

Cinnamomum verum is an evergreen tree that reaches a height of 8-17 m in the wild. In an unharvested state, the trunk is stout, 30-60 cm in diameter, with a thick, grey bark and the branches set low down. Leaves stiff, extipulate, opposite, somewhat variable in form and size. Petiole 1-2 cm long, grooved on the upper surface. Lamina usually 5-18 x 3-10 cm, ovate or elliptic; base more or less rounded and the tip tends to be somewhat acuminate. The young leaves of the flush are reddish, later turning dark green above with paler veins and pale glaucous beneath. Flowers borne in lax axillary and terminal panicles on the ends of twigs. Peduncles creamy white, softly hairy, 5-7 cm long. Individual flowers very small, about 3 mm in diameter, pale yellow, with a foetid smell, each subtended by a small, ovate, hairy bract. The calyx is campanulate and pubescent with 6 acutely pointed segments. Corolla absent. Fruit a fleshy ovoid drupe, black, 1.5-2 cm long when ripe, with the enlarged calyx at the base.

The etymology of cinnamon is derived from the Greek word ‘kinnamomon’ (meaning spice). The Greeks borrowed the word from the Phoenicians, indicating trade with the East from early times. Cinnamon is recorded in Sanskrit, the Old Testament, and in Greek medicinal works and was employed by the Egyptians for embalming purposes as early as 1485 BC. A species synonym, ‘zeylanicum’, refers to the place of origin, the island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

MEDICINE

Cinnamon bark oil is employed in dental and pharmaceutical preparations. Historically, cinnamon drops were regarded as a tonic, a sedative in childbirth, and a remedy for many common disorders. Cinnamon served as a breath sweetener in the past. In medieval times, cinnamon was distilled to produce cordials, ostensibly to aid in digestion. In the Orient, cinnamon and its near relatives are still widely used for local remedies, particularly for gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders and as an aphrodisiac. In the Philippines and the Pacific, it is taken to relieve headache. In Colombia, cinnamon sticks are chewed to speed parturition. In Ghana, barks of young shoots are used as a carminative and to treat catarrh (coryza), and the bark extract is an intestinal astringent. In Haiti, the essence is used as a poultice for rheumatism and is taken orally for spasms and for stomach and intestinal gas.