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Cinnamon

Botanical Name(s): Cinnamomum verum
Family Name: Lauraceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Cinnamomum
Species: C. verum
Popular Name(s): Tvak, Dalchini, Daruchini Karuva, Vazhana, Tamalapatra.
Parts Used: Bark
Habitat: Indigenous to India and Sri Lanka.

Description
Cinnamon is the inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree. The cinnamon trees are about 10 to 15 meters high. The light brown, papery bark and leathery leaves are ovate-oblong in shape, with a length of 7 to 18 cm. The green flowers are arranged in panicles and have a distinct odor. The tree bears purple berries with a single seed. Cinnamon has a fragrant perfume and a sweet and aromatic taste. The tree is native to Sri Lanka, but grows plentifully in Malabar, Cochin-China, Sumatra, Eastern Islands, Brazil, Mauritius, India and Jamaica. The spice is known as dal-chini, darchini or dhall cheene in Hindi and karuvappadai in Tamil.

Plant Chemicals
(+)- cinnamaldehyde (65-80%), lesser percentages of other phenols and terpenes, eugenol, trans-cinnamic acid, hydroxycinnamaldehyde, o-methoxycinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl alcohol and its acetate, limonene, alpha-terpineol, tannins, mucilage, oligomeric procyanidins, gum, mannitol, trace amounts of coumarin.

Uses & Benefits of Cinnamon
Caution