Cinnamomum verum (bark)

Nomenclature

Cinnamomum verum J. Presl   Lauraceae  
Standardized common name (English): cinnamon  
Ayurvedic name(s): tvak

Botanical Voucher Specimen

Source: MOBOT, Tropicos.org	Source: Botanical Voucher Specimen Library, Alkemists Laboratories	Source: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Organoleptic Characteristics

Color Rather light cinnamon brown (reddish brown).  Scent Delicately fragrant and aromatic.  Flavor Sweet, pungent, slightly astringent. Source: Schneider, A. (1921) The Microanalysis of Powdered Vegetable Drugs, 2nd ed.    Scent Agreeably aromatic.  Flavor Sweetish, warmly aromatic. Source: Culbreth, D. (1917) A Manual of Materia Media and Pharmacology, 6th ed.

Macroscopic Characteristics

Plants: Handsome evergreen trees, 6-9 M. (20-30°) high, truck .3-.5 M. (12-18') thick, young twigs slightly quadrangular; leaves coriaceous, 3-5-nerved, but only midrib reaches apex, bright glossy-green above, glaucous beneath, 10-20 Cm. (4-8') long; flowers Jan.-March, small, hermaphrodite or polygamous, fleshy, black, ovoid, size of small olive, adhering, like acorn, to cup-shaped perianth. Bark: (C. zeylanicum): Ceylon [Syn. Cinnamomum (acutum) verum], in closely rolled double quills of 7-12 thin layers of separate pieces of bark, 30-50 Cm. (12-20') long, 8-13 Mm. (1/3-1/2') broad, bark 1 Mm. (1/25') thick, pale yellowish-brown, smooth, longitudinally striate with narrow groups of bast-fibres and brownish patches, occasional perforations marking the nodes, inner surface light brown, with faint longitudinal striations; fracture short with projecting bast-fibres. Source: Culbreth, D. (1917) A Manual of Materia Media and Pharmacology, 6th ed. Source: PlantaPhile Source: PlantaPhile

Microscopic Characteristics

Histology much like that of Cassia Cinnamon; bast cells are more abundant and the cells of the outer cork wanting; starch less abundant. It is possible to distinguish this cinnamon from the other two by the larger sclerenchyma cells and absence of outer cork and epidermal tissues. Source: Schneider, A. (1921) The Microanalysis of Powdered Vegetable Drugs, 2nd ed. Powder, yellowish-brown; microscopically--numerous starch grains, 0.003-.02 Mm. (1/8325-1/1250') broad, colorless stone cells, numerous cellular reddish-brown fragments, calcium oxalate raphides; Saigon has many cork cells, Ceylon [Ed-Syn. verum in text] few or none, while bast-fibres of former are in groups of 2-20, of latter single and fusiform. Source: Culbreth, D. (1917) A Manual of Materia Media and Pharmacology, 6th ed. Thick walled fiber when observed at 400X with Acidified chloral Hydrate Soln. Source: Elan M. Sudberg, Alkemist Laboratories Large resin cells showing dark red contents observed at 400X with Acidified chloral Hydrate Soln. Source: Elan M. Sudberg, Alkemist Laboratories Ceylon Cinnamon (powdered bark) (Cinnamomum verum) / (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Nees) Source: Schneider, A. (1921) The Microanalysis of Powdered Vegetable Drugs, 2nd ed. Compare to Cinnamon aromaticum. Source: Schneider, A. (1921) The Microanalysis of Powdered Vegetable Drugs, 2nd ed. Compare to Cinnamon loureiroi. Source: Schneider, A. (1921) The Microanalysis of Powdered Vegetable Drugs, 2nd ed.