Cinnamomum rhynchophyllum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia
Introduction

Family: Lauraceae

Synonyms

Indonesia: kayu lawang (Indonesian), kayu salangan (Lampung), modang sanggar (Batak)

Peninsular Malaysia (rare), Sumatra and Borneo.

The bark smells like cloves and nutmeg and is used as a spice and medicinally to cure intestinal problems.

Tree up to 20 m tall; bole 30 cm in diameter.
Leaves subopposite, tri-veined; petiole up to 1.5 cm long; blade elliptical to oblong, 7-23 cm × 2-8 cm, apex with 1-2 cm long acumen, leathery, hairy and slightly glaucous below, secondary veins with few lateral veins running towards margin and joining to form looped intramarginal vein.
Inflorescence a terminal or axillary hairy panicle, up to 15 cm long, with yellow flowers.
Fruit an ovoid-truncate, one-seeded berry, about 1 cm in diameter.

C. rhynchophyllum occurs in lowland and hill forests, up to 500 m altitude. Flowers May-November.

Burkill, I.H., 1935. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. 2 volumes. Crown Agents for the Colonies, London, United Kingdom. 2402 pp. (slightly revised reprint, 1966. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2444 pp.).

Cammerloher, H., 1925. Die Cinnamomum-Arten von Niederländisch-Ostindien [The Cinnamomum species of the Dutch East Indies]. Contributions à l'étude de la flore des Indes Néerlandaises 7. Bulletin du Jardin Botanique Buitenzorg, Série 3, 7: 446-496.

Kostermans, A.J.G.H., 1970. Materials for a revision of Lauraceae 3. Reinwardtia 8(1): 21-196.

Whitmore, T.C. & Ng, F.S.P. (Editors), 1972-1989. Tree flora of Malaya. A manual for foresters. 2nd edition. 4 volumes. Malayan Forest Records No 26. Longman Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

P.C.M. Jansen