Cinnamomum tamala T.Nees & Eberm.

Indian bark (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Laurales > Lauraceae > Cinnamomum

Characteristics

Trees, up to 20 m tall, to 20 cm d.b.h. Bark gray-brown, scented. Branchlets tea-brown, terete, glabrous, young ones ± angled, sparsely gray puberulent initially soon glabrate. Leaves alternate or those on young branchlets sometimes subopposite; petiole 0.5-1.3 cm, slightly sulcate adaxially, glabrous; leaf blade green-white and opaque abaxially, green and shiny adaxially, ovate, oblong, or lanceolate, 7.5-15 × (2.5-)3-5.5 cm, thinly leathery, glabrous on both surfaces, triplinerved, midrib extending to leaf apex, basal lateral veins very elevated abaxially, slightly elevated adaxially, transverse veins undulate, veinlets reticulate, ± conspicuous on both surfaces, base acute or broadly cuneate, margin entire, apex long acuminate. Panicle axillary or terminal, 5-10 cm, many flowered, branched, apex of branch bearing a 3-5-flowered cyme; peduncle 1-4 cm, peduncle and rachis sparsely finely gray puberulent. Pedicels 4-6 mm, slender, finely gray puberulent. Flowers white-green, up to 6 mm. Perianth sparsely gray puberulent outside but densely so inside; perianth tube obconical, short, less than 2 mm; perianth lobes obovate-oblong, ca. 4 × 1.5 mm, obtuse. Fertile stamens 9, ca. 3.8 mm (of 1st and 2nd whorls) or ca. 4 mm (of 3rd whorl); filaments gray villous, ca. 2.5 mm, those of 3rd whorl each with 2 finely stalked ovate-cordate glands at lower 1/3, others glandless; anthers of 1st and 2nd whorls ovate-oblong, ca. 1.3 mm, with introrse cells, those of 3rd whorl oblong, ca. 1.5 mm, with extrorse cells. Staminodes 3, ca. 1.7 mm, villous, long stalked, apex triangular-sagittate. Ovary ovoid, ca. 1.2 mm, villous; style slender, ca. 3.6 mm; stigma small, inconspicuous. Fruit obovoid or ellipsoid, 10-14 mm; perianth lobes persistent on rim of cupule. Fl. Apr-May.
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A tree. It grows to 15 m high. The bark is dark brown and wrinkled. The leaves are rounded at the base and taper to a tip. Leaves are 7.5-20 cm long by 3.5-6.5 cm wide. They are oval and long pointed. They are shiny above and pink when young. The flowers are yellow and hairy. The fruit are 1 cm long. They are fleshy with a stone inside. They are black when ripe.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 15.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in Nepal between 500-2000 m altitude. It grows on moist slopes of forested land. In India it grows between 800-1,600 m altitude usually in deep valleys. In Yunnan.
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Mountain slopes, evergreen broad-leaved forests in valleys, watersides at elevations of 1,100-2,000 metres.
Light 4-9
Soil humidity 5-7
Soil texture 3-4
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 8-11

Usage

The bark and leaves are dried and used as spices in curries. They are also added to tea for flavour. The leaves are used as a substitute for Betel leaf and bay leaf.
Uses dye essential oil food fragrant oil material medicinal spice stimulant tea
Edible barks leaves
Therapeutic use Antirheumatic agents (bark), Asthma (bark), Colic (bark), Common cold (bark), Cough (bark), Diarrhea (bark), Expectorants (bark), Flatulence (bark), Gonorrhea (bark), Heart diseases (bark), Hemorrhoids (bark), Pharyngitis (bark), General tonic for rejuvenation (bark), Uterine diseases (bark), Anorexia (leaf), Anti-bacterial agents (leaf), Antifungal agents (leaf), Antirheumatic agents (leaf), Appetite stimulants (leaf), Asthma (leaf), Bronchitis (leaf), Colic (leaf), Common cold (leaf), Contraceptive agents (leaf), Cough (leaf), Diabetes mellitus (leaf), Diarrhea (leaf), Dyspepsia (leaf), Endophthalmitis (leaf), Expectorants (leaf), Fatigue (leaf), Fever (leaf), Flatulence (leaf), Gonorrhea (leaf), Headache (leaf), Heart diseases (leaf), Helminthiasis (leaf), Hemorrhoids (leaf), Hypoglycemia (leaf), Insecticides (leaf), Malaria (leaf), Narcotics (leaf), Nausea (leaf), Pain (leaf), Pharyngitis (leaf), Proctitis (leaf), General tonic for rejuvenation (leaf), Scorpion stings (leaf), Splenomegaly (leaf), Toothache (leaf), Uterine diseases (leaf), Vomiting (leaf), Diuretics (stem), Aromatic (unspecified), Astringent (unspecified), Carminative (unspecified), Colic (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Sore (unspecified), Tumor(Abdomen) (unspecified), Anthelmintics (unspecified), Cardiovascular diseases (unspecified), Dentifrices (unspecified), Diabetes mellitus, type 1 (unspecified), Diuretics (unspecified), Dyspepsia (unspecified), Endophthalmitis (unspecified), Flatulence (unspecified), Gonorrhea (unspecified), Helminthiasis (unspecified), Hypoglycemic agents (unspecified), Inflammation (unspecified), Liver diseases (unspecified), Proctitis (unspecified), General tonic for rejuvenation (unspecified), Sialorrhea (unspecified), Splenic diseases (unspecified), Toothache (unspecified), Urination disorders (unspecified), Wounds and injuries (unspecified), Rectal pain (unspecified), Anti-bacterial agents (whole plant)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants are grown by seed or shoot cuttings. Fresh seed are soaked in water overnight before sowing. Shoot cuttings 15-20 cm long can be used. Using rooting hormone helps. Seedlings can be transplanted after 1 year. Trees last 70-80 years. Leaves can be collected after 5-10 years.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking
Minimum temperature (C°) -7
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Cinnamomum tamala unspecified picture

Distribution

Cinnamomum tamala world distribution map, present in Bhutan, China, India, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Viet Nam

Conservation status

Cinnamomum tamala threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:463718-1
WFO ID wfo-0000605467
COL ID 5Z74T
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Laurus soilyana Laurus culilawan Laurus sailyana Laurus albiflora Cinnamomum albiflorum Cinnamomum tamala Cinnamomum zwartzii Persea tamala Cinnamomum reinwardtii Laurus tamala Cinnamomum lindleyi Cinnamomum veitchii Cinnamomum pauciflorum var. tazia Cinnamomum tamala var. elliptifolium