of Cinnamomum have so far been found or described, yet some fossil flowers have been assigned 
to this genus (Conwetz, 1886 in Drinnan et al., 1990). Flowers with characters that suggest the 
relation to the group of genera where Cinnamomum is placed (Ocotea - Cinnamomum complex: 
sensu Kostermans, 1957) have been described from the Paleocene, ca. 45 million years ago 
(Taylor, 1988); these flowers were bisexual, with 6 tepals in two whorls of three each, stamens 
with four microsporangia, paired glands at the base of some filaments, and a distinct hypanthium. 
These data indicate that the genus Cinnamomum might have been present in the world flora since 
that geological period. 
Taxonomic treatment. 
Cinnamomum Schaeffer, Botanica Expeditior 74. 1760. nom. conserv. 
Camphora Fabricius, Enum.: 218. 1759. 
Camphorina Noronha, Verh. Batav. Genootsch. Kunsten 5: art 4.1. 1790. 
Septina Noronha, Verh. Batav. Genootsch. Kunsten 5: art 4.3. 1790. 
Cecidodaphne Nees, in Wallich, PI. asiat. rar. 2: 70. 1831. 
Partenoxylon Blume, Mus. bot. 1(21): 322. 1851. 
Phoebe sect. Cinnamomoideae Meissner, in DC. Prodr. 15 (1): 29. 1864. 
Temmodaphne Kostermans, Bot. Tidsskr. 68: 319. 1973. 
Mostly medium sized or tall trees, up to 30 m, less frequently shrubs; leaves alternate or 
opposite,usually distinctly petiolate, entire, glabrous or variously pubescent, triplinerved, 
subtriplinerved or penninerved; inflorescences axillary to leaves or to small deciduous bracts, 
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