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Lauraceae FAMILY Vulnerable

Cinnamomum osmophloeum

Cinnamomum osmophloeum

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
3/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
Growth—

Most parts of the tree are strongly aromatic[1]. This species is classifed into 5 types based on the chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from their leaves: these chemotypes are:- trans-cinnamaldehyde; trans-cinnamaldehyde/cinnamyl acetate; T-cadinol/a-cadinol; camphor; and linalool. The essential oils from leaves of ct. cinnamaldehyde have similar constituents to those from commercial bark cinnamons. All the tested indigenous cinnamon clones contain much lower levels of the hepatotoxic and carcinogenic compound, coumarin, which is often seen in Cassia cinnamons.

Propagation

Seed - the seed of species in this genus generally has a short viability and is best sown as soon in containers as it is ripe[2]. Remove the fruit pulp since this can inhibit germination[2]. Soaking the seeds for 24 hours in lukewarm water hastens germination[3], which can take 1 - 6 months at 20°c[4]. The germination rate of fresh seed is about 50%, falling to 25% for seed 6 months old, and zero for those 1 year old[3]. Stored seed should be sown as soon as possible in containers[5]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions when 10cm or more tall. Cuttings of semi-ripe side shoots, 7cm with a heel, in a frame with bottom heat[5]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cinnamomum+osmophloeum>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
  4. [4]Growing from Seed. Volume 4. — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1990 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.
  5. [5]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  6. [6]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  7. [7]Cytotoxic Lignan Esters from Cinnamomum osmophloeum — Tai-Hung Chen; Yu-Hao Huang; Jhih-Jhang Lin; Bing-Chung Liau · 2009 · ISBN DOI: 10.1055/s-00 ↩︎
  8. [8]High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of kaempferol glycosides in Cinnamomum osmophloeum leaves — Yerra Koteswara Rao; Madamanchi Geethangili; Hsiao-Sung Chan · 2009 · ISBN 1727-2394 ↩︎
  9. [9]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
  10. [10]Tropical and Subtropical Trees - A Worldwide Encyclopaedic Guide. — Barwick. M. · Thames & Hudson, London · 2004 · ISBN 0-500-51181-0 ↩︎A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life.
  11. [11]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
  12. [12]Activity of Cinnamomum osmophloeum leaf essential oil against Anopheles gambiae s.s — France P Mdoe; Sen-Sung Cheng; Shandala Msangi; Gamba Nkweng · 2014 · http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/7/1/209 ↩︎
  13. [13]Antihyperglycemic and antioxidant activities of twig extract from Cinnamomum osmophloeum — Gong-Min Lin, Yu-Han Chen, Pei-Ling Yen, Shang-Tzen Chang · 2016 ↩︎
  14. [14]CosIng — http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/ ↩︎CosIng is the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients.