Common Name:

General Information

Cinnamomum parthenoxylon is a tall evergreen tree that can eventually grow up to 45 metres tall[], though it is usually more in the range 10 - 20 metres[]. The bole is usually up to 40cm in diameter, exceptionally to 92cm[, ].
The tree is commonly harvested from the wild as a source of essential oils and flavourings, whilst also being the source of a fixed oil and a good quality wood. Many of these products are traded, and the tree is sometimes cultivated as a spice in gardens in southern China[].
In Vietnam, although the species occurs commonly in areas of evergreen rainforest in the north, exploitation of the roots for their commercial essence has caused severe population declines, resulting in the species being classified as 'Critically Endangered' at a national level[]. Over the whole range of this species, however, there is insufficient information to give an accurate assessment of the plant's status. The plant is classified as 'Data Deficient' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - southern China, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia

Habitat

A mid-canopy tree in undisturbed to disturbed mixed dipterocarp and sub-montane forests; usually on hillsides and ridges with sandy to clay soils, but also on ultrabasic and limestone; at elevations up to 1,700 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Data Deficient
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Cinnamomum parthenoxylon is a plant of tropical areas, where it can be found at elevations up to 2,000 metres, occasionally ascending to 3,000 metres. It grows in regions with all-year rainfall and sometimes also in regions with a distinct dry season[].
Succeeds on both fertile and poor soils[].
Plants can be coppiced[].

Edible Uses

The aromatic bark is used as a flavouring[, ].

Medicinal

The wood contains the essential oil safrol, which is used medicinally[].
The wood of this species is one of the three ingredietns of a popular Thai rejuvenative and blood tonic known as 'TriSuraPhon'. The other two ingredients are the wood of Aquilaria crassna and the bark of Cinnamomum bejolghota. The tonic is said to have a wide range of beneficial effects upon the general health, the individual components having been credited with diverse beneficial properties including antioxidant, anti-ischemic, antimicrobial, anticancer, hypoglycaemic, and hypolipidemic[]. Trials have shown that this tonic can help to normalize lipid levels in overweight individuals, also reducing highly atherogenic LDLC levels and increasing beneficial HDL-C levels[].

The roots are used in the treatment of fevers and during childbirth[]. They are used as a tonic after childbirth[].

The bark is used as a tonic for relieving menstruation problems[].

Other Uses

The roots, bark, wood, and leafy branchlets contain essential oil and camphor[]. The bark (probably referring to the essential oil) is used as a scent for soaps[].
The wood contains safrol, which is used in perfumery and in medicine[, ].

The fruit kernel contains oil and fat (up to 60%), which are used in soap manufacture[].

The heartwood is orange-red with black streaks; the sapwood is whitish or brownish[]. It is resistant to insect attack because of its pronounced and persistent smell[]. It possesses all the necessary characteristics of a first-rate wood which will stand well under any conditions without warping or twisting. It is used for house-building and for shingles, and is suitable for cabinet-making It possesses a slight, pleasant aromatic scent[]. The wood is finely grained and used for furniture making and cabinet work, construction, flooring, utensils and wood carving[, , ].
There are a number of tree species (including this one) from Peninsular 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 specific 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 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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