Cinnamomum camphora

Botanical Description

Cinnamomum camphora is a relatively fast-growing, evergreen tree with a dense crown; it usually grows from 10 - 15 metres tall, but can reach 40 metres. The bole, which usually branches from quite low down, can be up to 75cm in diameter[ 325 Title Seed Leaflets Publication Author Various Website http://en.sl.life.ku.dk/Publikationer/Udgivelser/PopulaerPublikationer.aspx?katid={D28373CC-6EF3-4EF8-B097-6D83FABF209E}&serieid={9F1C3DB1-6E7B-4CF1-AF53-F480B0CB40EF}&sort=title Publisher Forest & Landscape. Denmark Year 0 ISBN Description A series of leaflets, jointly produced by the University of Copenhagen and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, focussing on seed information for a number species, but also giving a lot of other information about each plant. , 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. , 785 Title Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Publication Author Nguyen Van Duong Publisher Mekong Printing; Vietnam (Printers) Year 1993 ISBN 0-9837303-1-2 Description Published by the author, this is an excellent book on the medicinal attributes of plants growing in the area that used to be called Indo-China. ]. The plant is grown commercially in China and Japan as a medicinal tree and also for its essential oil, though most camphor oil on the market nowadays is produced synthetically[ 46 Title Dictionary of Economic Plants. Publication Author Uphof. J. C. Th. Publisher Weinheim Year 1959 ISBN - Description An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader. , 713 Title Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Publication Author Website http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest. ]. It has also been widely planted in other areas of the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. At one time it was heavily exploited as a source of camphor, but the availability of cheap, synthetic camphor has meant that there is now only modest international demand for the natural form[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. Camphor produced from Cinnamon species is often considered superior to synthetic because the molecules are dextorotatory, whereas synthetic camphor (produced from pinene) contains both dextro- and laevorotatory forms and is considered by many Pharmocopoeias to be more toxic[ 785 Title Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Publication Author Nguyen Van Duong Publisher Mekong Printing; Vietnam (Printers) Year 1993 ISBN 0-9837303-1-2 Description Published by the author, this is an excellent book on the medicinal attributes of plants growing in the area that used to be called Indo-China. ]. Widely grown as a source of camphor and as an ornamental, this species has spread from cultivation. The fruits are a very popular food with several species of birds and these are generally blamed in Australia for the spread of this species. It is generally regarded as a pest species in northern New South Wales and south-east Queensland; and there is ample evidence that it is assuming a similar role on the Atherton Tableland, although it is not yet quite as obvious[ 713 Title Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Publication Author Website http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest. ].