Botany names

Description - Cinnamomum zeylanicum. It is an evergreen tree, attaining the height of about 6-8 meter with thick, smooth, reddish brown bark. Opposite or sub - opposite leaves are ovate or ovate-Lanceolate, hard and coriaceous, glabrous and shining above, slightly pale beneath with 3-5 main nerves. 1/2 - 1-inch petiole flattened above. Many minute flowers in axillary or sub-terminal cymes or panicles. Fruit is ovate or oblong, about 1.5 - 2 cm long, minutely apiculate, dry or slightly fleshy and dark purple in colour with single seed and persistent perianth. The whole plant gives the characteristic smell of Eugenol when crushed.

Chemical Constituents- The oil extracted from leaves containing 70-80% of Eugenol, oil from bark contain cinnamon oil which is brown and viscid and the root oil has a strong camphoraceous smell with yellow colour and is lighter than water.

Use - The branches of the trees are lopped and their bark removed; the dried inner bark constitutes the drug Cinnamon. The drug is used in diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting. It is commonly used as a condiment. It is used as a stomachic and carminative, it cures gas, debility and flatulence; and also has the property of destroying certain germs and fungi. Also useful lineament in Rheumatic pains. The paste made of bark with lemon juice is applied for the pimples as herbal medicine. Also the chewing of bark is very helpful in case of fowl smell from the mouth-Other uses The oil Eugenol is used as a substitute for clove oil, as flavouring for sweets, foods, toothpaste and in perfumery. Preservative for sweets, soaps, etc., and for local application on certain rheumatic pains.