''Cinnamomum verum'', called true cinnamon tree or Ceylon cinnamon tree, is a small

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

belonging to the family

Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016 ). They are dicotyledons, and occur m ...

, native to

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. The inner bark of several other '' Cinnamomum'' species are also used to make

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus '' Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakf ...

, but ''C. verum'' has a more subtle flavor.

Description

''Cinnamomum verum'' trees are 10–15 metres (30–50 feet) tall. The

leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

are

ovate Ovate may refer to: * Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe *Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd *Vates In modern English, the nouns vates () and ova ...

-oblong in shape and 7–18 cm (3–7 inches) long. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...

s, which are arranged in

panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...

s, have a greenish color and a distinct odour. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

is a purple 1cm

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part ( exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or ''pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel ...

containing a single

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosper ...

Cultivation

The old botanical synonym for the tree, ''Cinnamomum zeylanicum'', is derived from

's former name, Ceylon. Sri Lanka still produces 80–90% of the world's supply of ''C. verum'', which is also cultivated on a commercial scale in the

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, ...

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Afric ...

and

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

Cultivars

There are several different

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s of ''Cinnamomum verum'' based on the taste of bark: * Type 1 – si, Pani Kurundu (පැණි කුරුඳු), Pat Kurundu (පත් කුරුඳු), Mapat Kurundu (මාපත් කුරුඳු); ta, Ten Lavangapattai (தேன் இலவங்கப்பட்டை), Karamana lavangapattai (காரமான இலவங்கப்பட்டை), Taramana Lavangapattai (தரமான இலவங்கப்பட்டை) * Type 2 – si, Naga Kurundu (නාග කුරුඳු); ta, Naka Lavangapattai (நாகா இலவங்கப்பட்டை) * Type 3 – si, Pani Miris Kurundu (පැණි මිරිස් කුරුඳු); ta, Juci Milakay Lavangapattai (ஜூசி மிளகாய் இலவங்கப்பட்டை) * Type 4 – si, Weli Kurundu (වැලි කුරුඳු); ta, Manal Lavangapattai (மணல் இலவங்கப்பட்டை) * Type 5 – si, Sewala Kurundu (සෙවල කුරුඳු); ta, Vettappattatu Lavangapattai (வெட்டப்பட்டது இலவங்கப்பட்டை) * Type 6 – si, Kahata Kurundu (කහට කුරුඳු); ta, Manyal Nira Lavangapattai (மஞ்சள் நிற இலவங்கப்பட்டை * Type 7 – si, Peiris Kurundu (පීරිස් කුරුඳු); ta, Piris Lavangapattai (பீரிஸ் இலவங்கப்பட்டை)

Medicinal Uses

Cinnamon has a long history of use in

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

as a digestive aid, however, contemporary studies are unable to find evidence of any significant medicinal or therapeutic effect.

Processing

The trees grow as leafy bushes, usually reaching a maximum of in height. They are first harvested at 3 years old, and continue producing well for 40–50 years. Small side branches (1.5–5 cm in diameter) are removed from the trees. The outer bark is removed, and made into

mulch A mulch is a layer of material applied to the surface of soil. Reasons for applying mulch include conservation of soil moisture, improving fertility and health of the soil, reducing weed growth and enhancing the visual appeal of the area. A mu ...

. Twigs, leaves and berries (seeds) are crushed and make cinnamon oil, a less valuable byproduct. The inner bark of the branches are loosened by being rubbed with a brass rod. Then the bark is split with a brass or stainless steel knife and peeled off as intact as possible. Long, full 'quills' of cinnamon are more valuable than broken pieces. These quills are then dried over several days in the shade, then in darkness. All this work is done by hand by experienced workers; this is the most expensive part of producing cinnamon spice. Finally, the dried bark is cut into sticks or ground into powder for sale to consumers.

Gallery

Cinnamomum verum leaves.JPG, Leaves of the ''Cinnamomum verum'' plant Cinnamomum verum 002.JPG, Leaves of the ''Cinnamomum verum'' plant Cinnamomum_verum_spices.jpg, Bark, powder and dried flowers from ''Cinnamomum verum'' plant

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q370239 verum Endemic flora of Sri Lanka Trees of Sri Lanka Trees of India Plants described in 1825