Common Name:

General Information

Cinnamomum glanduliferum is an evergreen tree that usually grows 5 - 15 metres tall, occasionally reaching 20 metres. The bole can be up to 30cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of essential oil, fixed oil and wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - southern China, northeast India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Malaysia.

Habitat

Evergreen broad-leaved forests on hilly land; at elevations from 1,500 - 2,500 metres, occasionally ascending to 3,000 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Cinnamomum glanduliferum is a plant of warm temperate to tropcal climates in China, India and southeast Asia. It is able to tolerate short-lived frosts, probably down to -5°c, possibly lower. It needs to grow in areas with ample summer heat in order to ensure that it thoroughly ripens the current season's growth, otherwise it will be less winter-hardy[].
Requires a very sunny position in climates with cooler summers, but otherwise requires some shade from the strongest sun. Prefers an acidic soil with ample moisture in summer[].
Species in this genus are generally able to resprout from basal wood if the top is harmed, and will soon recover from frost damage[].
Almost all parts of the plant are aromatic.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The leaves are carminative and stimulant. They are used to treat the common cold, cough, wind-damp impediment pain, distending pain in stomach duct and diarrhoea[].

The bark and roots are used medicinally[].

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from this plant can vary considerably according to the region in which the plant is growing. The leaves of one sample from northern India (Uttarakhand) was characterized by a high proportion of oxygenated monoterpenes (55.4 %) followed by monoterpene hydrocarbons (35.36 %) with the major constituents being 1,8-cineole (41.42 %), alpha-pinene (20.28 %), alpha-terpineol (9.4%), germacrene D-4-ol (6.1%) and alpha-thujene (5.1%)[].
The essential oil has shown pronounced activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria[].

Other Uses

The leafy branchlets contain essential oil and camphor[].

The oily fat obtained from the fruit kernel is used for industrial purposes[].

The wood is used for making furniture[].
There are a number of tree species (including this one) from Malaysia that are in the family Lauraceae and produce a useful timber that is either not distinct enough in itself, or is in insufficient supply, to warrant being traded individually. These various species have been lumped together under the trade name ‘medang’[].
We do not have any more information about the wood from this species, but a general description of medang timber is as follows:-
The heartwood is very variable, from light-straw to red-brown and olive brown; the sapwood is ill-defined. The texture is moderately fine but even; the grain interlocked or wavy; the surface dull. The wood is not durable. It is easy to slightly difficult to resaw, and easy to moderately easy to cross-cut; easy to plane and the surface produced is smooth to moderately smooth. It is suitable for decorative work such as interior finishing, panelling, furniture and cabinet making. It is also suitable for plywood manufacture, whilst the heavier species are suitable for medium construction under cover[]

Propagation

Seed - the seed 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[]. Germination 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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