Cinnamomum verum

Ceylon cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum), Illustration from Koehler's Medicinal -Plants 1887.

The Ceylon cinnamon tree or Real Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum) is a flowering plant in the family of the laurel family ( Lauraceae ). The original home of Sri Lanka ( Ceylon). He is the source of the Ceylon cinnamon ( true cinnamon).

• 4.1 substitute

• 6.1 Notes and references

Description

Appearance, bark and foliage leaf

The True cinnamon is reached, a small evergreen tree, the growth heights of up to 10 meters. The bark is black - brown. The inside of the bark and bark smells aromatic by, among others, cinnamaldehyde. The somewhat quadrangular branches are gray, some white spotted bark. The buds are hairy silky and fluffy.

In many tropical trees many sheets are formed simultaneously ( foliage distribution ) without fixed time during the year, here are the young leaves in many species by anthocyanin colored more or less red, which protects against excessive UV radiation. In this species the leaves are bright red in the young stage, but later dark green with white veins. The mostly opposite arranged on the branches leaves are divided into petiole and leaf blade. The bald petiole is 2 cm long. The large, more or less leathery, bald, simple leaf blade is ovate or ovate - lanceolate with pointed Spreitenbasis and cusped end with a length of 11 cm to 16 cm and a width of 4.5 to 5.5 cm. The lower leaf surface is greenish - white. The top of the fully developed leaf blade is glossy green. Typical are the three distinctly raised veins and a Netznervatur intervening. The leaf margin is smooth.

Inflorescence and flower

The terminal or pendant Rispige inflorescence is 10-12 cm long. Inflorescence stem and rachis are hairy silky and fluffy. The hermaphroditic, radial symmetry flowers have a diameter of 6 mm. There are usually six, rarely up to nine yellow, oblong, nearly equal bracts present, which are grown inverted - conical only at their base and outside hairy gray fluffy. In three circles each have three fertile stamens. The near their base hairy, free stamens each have two glands. The Upper constant, unilocular ovary is egg-shaped with a length of 10 to 15 mm and bald. The short style ends in a disc-shaped scar.

Fruit

Those with a length of 10 to 15 mm ovoid drupe turns bluish- black when ripe. On the fruit, the bracts are still recognizable.

System

The first description of Cinnamomum verum was valid through January 1825 Svatopluk Presl in O Prirozenosti rostlin, 2 ( 2), pp. 36, 37-44. Cinnamomum verum J.Presl synonyms for are: Laurus cinnamomum L., Camphorina cinnamomum (L.) Farw, Cinnamomum aromaticum J.Graham, Cinnamomum barthii Lukman, Cinnamomum bengalense Lukman, Cinnamomum biafranum Lukman, Cinnamomum bonplandii Lukman, Cinnamomum. .. .. boutonii Lukman. , Cinnamomum capense Lukman. , Cinnamomum carolinense var oblongum Kaneh. , Cinnamomum cayennense Lukman. , Cinnamomum cinnamomum (L.) H.Karst. , Cinnamomum commersonii Lukman. , Cinnamomum cordifolium Lukman. , Cinnamomum decandollei Lukman. , Cinnamomum delessertii Lukman. , Cinnamomum ellipticum Lukman. , Cinnamomum erectum Lukman. , Cinnamomum humboldtii Lukman. , Cinnamomum iners Wight, Cinnamomum karrouwa Lukman. , Cinnamomum leptopus ACSM. , Cinnamomum leschenaultii Lukman. , Cinnamomum madrassicum Lukman. , Cinnamomum maheanum Lukman. , Cinnamomum mauritianum Lukman. , Cinnamomum meissneri Lukman. , Cinnamomum ovatum Lukman. , Cinnamomum pallasii Lukman. , Cinnamomum pleei Lukman. , Cinnamomum pourretii Lukman. , Cinnamomum regelii Lukman. , Cinnamomum roxburghii Lukman. , Cinnamomum sieberi Lukman. , Cinnamomum sonneratii Lukman. , Cinnamomum vaillantii Lukman. , Cinnamomum variabile Lukman. , Cinnamomum wolkensteinii Lukman. , Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume, Cinnamomum zeylanicum Breyn. , Cinnamomum zeylanicum var cassia Meisn. , Cinnamomum zeylanicum var cordifolium Hayne, Cinnamomum zeylanicum var foeniculaceum Meisn. , Cinnamomum zeylanicum var inodorum Meisn. , Cinnamomum zeylanicum var microphyllum Meisn. , Cinnamomum zollingeri Lukman ..

Occurrence

The original home of Sri Lanka ( Ceylon). Today, this species is cultivated in many tropical countries. In tropical Asia, the Caribbean Islands and the Seychelles, the species is wild.

Use as a spice and history

Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices, which was allegedly used in BC China as a spice already 3000. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama brought in 1502, after his landing in 1498 on the southern Indian island of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, this spice finally to Europe.

The True cinnamon is known especially through the spice cinnamon. The aroma of the cinnamon tree goes back to the cinnamon oil contained in it, which is 75 percent of cinnamaldehyde. The cinnamon leaves are used as a substitute for Indian bay leaves. The " cinnamon-tree " mentioned, immature fruits are used as a spice.

Substitute

In the food industry instead of real Cinnamon cassia is mainly used, which of the Cassia ( Chinese cinnamon tree, Cinnamomum cassia ), another species of the genus Cinnamomum, is obtained. Although often the term cassia cinnamon is used, it is an own spice.

The problem is its high content of coumarin compared to the real cinnamon. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment advises moderate consumption of cassia cinnamon. For the food preparation in the household, therefore, recommends the use of genuine cinnamon, often declared as Ceylon cinnamon. However, the information on the product packaging of Zimtpulvern are not always clear. In rods, the difference is, however, apparent. True cinnamon consists of a plurality of fine layers which are curled into a closed rod, resembling in cross-section of a cigar. Kassia usually consisting of only a single, thick layer of bark that curls at both ends and therefore does not result in a closed bar.

Use as a medicinal plant

As a medicinal drug called cinnamon Cinnamomum cortex is being used. It is the 1-2 -year-old Wurzelschösslingen or stock swings harvested, freed from the outer layer by scraping bark.

Further, the oil of cinnamon, essential oil of the rind is used and the cinnamon leaf oil, the essential oil of the leaves.

Active ingredients: In the bark up to 4% essential oil with cinnamic aldehyde as the major component ( 65-75 %), eugenol ( 5%), cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid and other phenylpropanoids, insecticidal diterpenes, procyanidins, phenolic acids and mucilage. In the leaves essential oil with plenty of eugenol (up 95%) and only slightly cinnamaldehyde.

Application: Many previous indications for cinnamon as a medicinal drug have now been abandoned. Today, you can still use the appetizing and digestive properties, which is caused by the excitation of the salivary and gastric secretion. Accordingly, we are cinnamon with indigestion with bloating and flatulence, loss of appetite and slight cramping pains, inter alia, in connection with menstruation. The drug alone is rarely used as a tea infusion, but sometimes it is in tea blends contain, more often in the tincture combined gastrointestinal agents. Primarily used today to improve cinnamon and cinnamon oil obtained therefrom to the taste of medicines and to flavor house tea. In preparations for external use cinnamon is occasionally contain as a skin irritant agent.

In therapeutic doses, the drug should not be used during pregnancy or in the stomach and intestinal ulcers. People with known hypersensitivity to balsam of Peru should avoid cinnamon altogether. Allergic skin and mucosal reactions are relatively common by the content of cinnamaldehyde.

The leaf oil is significantly cheaper than the bark oil and is used for toothpastes, oral care products and other cosmetic products as well as for the production of eugenol.