CHAPTER VI 
CINNAMON 
The cinnamon of commerce is the bark of the tree 
Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Breyn, of the aromatic 
order of Laurineae. The tree is a native of Ceylon, 
occurring in moist low country to an elevation of 2,000 
ft. (Trimen, Flora of Ceylon), and is said to occur also 
in Southern India, Burma, and the Malay Peninsula. 
I have seen no specimens from the Malay Peninsula, 
undoubtedly wild, but the allied tree Cinnamomum 
iners, BL, is one of the commonest low country trees, 
and so closely resembles the true cinnamon that, except 
for the taste and odour of the bark, I find it very 
difficult to separate the two plants botanically, and it 
seems probable to me that the true Ceylon cinnamon is 
a very aromatic form of C. iners. The bark of this 
latter varies a good deal in its aroma, but is never 
as highly flavoured or scented. The Malays use it, 
however, in medicine and as a spice, though only to 
a small extent and as a substitute for true cinnamon, 
which they much prefer. 
Curiously, although so similar the two trees do not 
flower and fruit simultaneously, for when C. iners is 
in flower (all trees in the neighbourhood flowering at 
one time), C. zeylanicum is not to be found in flower 
or fruit, the flowers usually appearing later. 
DESCRIPTION 
The tree when full grown is usually about 20 ft. 
in height, but occasionally reaches 40 ft. It has a 
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