Details

Botanical Name	Cinnamomum tamala (Buch.-Ham.) Nees & Eberm
Synonym	laurus tamala Buch.-Ham.
Family	Lauraceae
Local Name	Tejpat, Dalchini
English Name	Cinnamon, Nepalese Cinnamon

Plant Description

Cinnamon is an evergreen tree about 15m high, bark dark brown, wrinkled. Leaves stalked, alternate or sub-opposite, ovate to oblong, long pointed, three veined, entire, glabrous, shiny above and pinkish when young. Yellowish stalked flowers bloom during April to May, and fruit appears as a drupe during December to Feburary.
Cinnamon is distributed throughout Nepal within the altitudinal range of 450-2200m on moist slopes of forest land.

Extraction

Cinnamon leaf oil is extracted by steam distillation of the leaves and twings of Cinnamomum tamala. Leaves contains about 2% of the essential oil.

Uses

Cinnamon leaf oil is used as fragrance components in perfumes, industrial fragrances, cosmetic products , detergents and soaps etc. The oil is also used in flavouring foods especially alcoholic and soft drinks. The oil is used in aromatheraphy.