Cinnamomum burmanni (C. Nees & T. Nees) C. Nees ex Blume
Family
Lauraceae
Synonyms
Laurus burmanni C. Nees & T. Nees, Cinnamomum mindanaense Elmer.
Vernacular Names
| English | Indonesian cassia, Padang cassia, cassia vera. |
| Indonesia | Kayu manis (Indonesian), ki amis (Sundanese), manis jangan (Javanese). |
| Philippines | Kaliñgag (Manobo), kami (Bagobo). |
| Thailand | Suramarit (Nakhon Ratchasima). |
| Vietnam | Qu[ees] tr[ef]n, qu[ees] r[af]nh. |
Geographical Distributions
Cinnamomum burmanni is distributed in Malesia. It is cultivated in Indonesia (Java, Sumatra) and the Philippines.
Description
C. burmanni is an evergreen shrub or small tree that can reach up to 15 m tall.
The leaves are sub-opposite while the petiole is 0.5-1 cm long. The blade is oblong-elliptical to lance-shaped, measuring 4-14 cm x 1.5-6 cm, pale red, finely hairy when young but hairless when older and glossy green above, glaucous and pruinose below.
The inflorescence is a short axillary raceme. The pedicel is 4-12 mm long. The perianth is 4-5 mm long and after anthesis, the lobes tear off transversely about halfway. The stamens measure about 4 mm long and with 2 staminodes are 2 mm long.
The ovoid berry measures about 1 cm long.
Ecology / Cultivation
C. burmanni occurs in Indonesia from sea level to 2000 m altitudes, but in the important production area of Padang, it grows best between 500-1500 m altitudes with an evenly distributed annual rainfall of 2000-2500 mm. The light and rich sandy loams yield the best bark.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 13: Spices.
