Cinnamomum burmanni

Distribution

Cinnamomum burmanni is native to tropical Southeast Asia. It ranges from Bangladesh to Myanmar, southern China, Hainan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia (Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, the Lesser Sunda Islands), and the Philippines.

In Sumatra C. burmanni is commonly found in West Sumatra and western Jambi province, with the Kerinci region being especially known as the center of production of quality, high essential-oil crops.

On Borneo it occurs in Sabah (Keningau, Lahad Datu, Ranau, Sandakan and Sipitang districts) and Kalimantan, where it found in cultivation and in secondary forest, villages, and abandoned plantations to 1,500 metres elevation.

C. burmanni is an introduced species in parts of the subtropical world, particularly in Hawaiʻi, where it is naturalized and invasive. It was introduced to Hawaiʻi from Asia in 1934 as a crop plant.

Use

Aromatic oil can be extracted from the bark, leaves, and roots of Cinnamomum burmanni. The bark is also used as a cinnamon bark. The leaves can be used as a spice for preserved food and canned meat instead of laurel leaves. The core contains fat, which can be squeezed for industrial use. The wood is used for fine furniture and other fine work materials. C. burmanni is also a Chinese herbal medicine.

The most common and cheapest type of cinnamon in the US is made from powdered C. burmanni. C. burmanni oil contains no eugenol, but higher amounts of coumarin than C. cassia and Ceylon cinnamon with 2.1 g/kg in an authenticated sample, and a mean of 5.0 g/kg in 8 samples tested. It is also sold as quills of one layer.