Common Name:

General Information

Cinnamomum cambodianum is an evergreen tree with a large, dense crown, growing 15 - 25 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 30 - 80cm in diameter[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a condiment, medicine and source of wood. The wood is highly valued in Cambodia, where the tree is extensively harvested from the wild[].
The tree has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. However, it has a very valuable timber and has come under high pressure from over-exploitation. It is in danger of extinction unless measures are taken to provide adequate protection from illegal logging. The number of mature trees has been reduced significantly and it is now difficult to find significant sources of germplasm[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Cambodia, Vietnam.

Habitat

Wet, dense forests, in both primary and secondary formations, along the banks of rivers and streams, in valleys and at the foot of mountains; at elevations from 600 - 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Endangered
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A shade-demanding tree when young, though it grows well in full sun when older. It prefers a deep, fertile, moist soil, though it can also succeed in well drained, leached hillside soils of low fertility[, ]. Succeeds in soils with a pH as low as 4[]. Plants can tolerate short periods when the soil is inundated, though they are also tolerant of short periods of drought[].
All parts of the stem are aromatic[].

Edible Uses

The bark is used in the kitchen as a food[]. This probably means as a cinnamum-like condiment[].

The bark is also mixed with betel and used as a masticatory[].

Medicinal

An essential oil obtained from the plant is used in traditional medicine. It has a warming stimulant action and is carminative, anti-spasmodic and antiseptic. It has been used in the treatment of indigestion, tuberculosis and for the
regulation of menstrual pains[].

The stem bark is often used as a cardiac tonic, carminative and to relieves fatigue[].

Steam inhalation of the leaves is used to treat nasal cataracts[].

The plant contains up to 4% essentail oils (comprising cinnamaldehyde 65-75% & eugenol 4-10%), tannins, coumarins, and mucilage[].
Patients treated with other anti coagulants should be monitored carefully whilst taking this herb, due to its content of coumarin[].

Other Uses

An essential oil is obtained from the stems[].

The heartwood is reddish-gray; it is not always distinctly demarcated from the pale gray sapwood. The wood is light to medium weight. A very valuable timber, it is used in house construction, boards, column posts, agricultural implements etc[, ].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - the seed of species in this genus generally has a short viability and is best sown as soon in containers as it is ripe[]. Remove the fruit pulp since this can inhibit germination[]. Soaking the seeds for 24 hours in lukewarm water hastens germination[], which can take 1 - 6 months at 20°c[]. The germination rate of fresh seed is about 50%, falling to 25% for seed 6 months old, and zero for those 1 year old[]. Stored seed should be sown as soon as possible in containers[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions when 10cm or more tall.
Cuttings of semi-ripe side shoots, 7cm with a heel, in a frame with bottom heat[].

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