| Cinnamomum parthenoxylon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Cinnamomum parthenoxylon | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Laurales |
| Family: | Lauraceae |
| Genus: | Cinnamomum |
| Species: | C.
parthenoxylon |
| Binomial name | |
| Cinnamomum
parthenoxylon Meisn. |
|
Cinnamomum parthenoxylon known in English as Selasian wood[1], Saffrol Laurel[2], or as Martaban camphor wood[3]. It has the outdated heterotypic synonym Laurus porrecta (Roxb.). The species name parthenoxylon derives from parthenos xylon (Greek: παρθενός ξύλον), meaning "virgin wood." The common name is Spanish is alcanforero amarillo[4] (in English: "yellow camphor") and it is thought to be the tree known in Khmer as mreah prew phnom (Khmer: ម្រះព្រៅភ្នំ). It is an evergreen tree in the genus Cinnamomum. It is native to Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam. In Vietnam, the tree is considered Critically Endangered[5].
The tree has gray to brown bark. Its leaves are a glossy green ovals 7-10 cm long with a point at the end. Like many plants in the Laurel Family, the leaves give off a pleasant smell when crushed. The flowers appear in clusters and are green and very small. The fruits are blackish drupes.[6]
In Indonesia the flowers
of Cinnamomum parthenoxylon symbolize love and connection
between the living and the dead. Traditionally, in the Kudus Regency on
the island of Java, the flowers we
scattered on tombs by family members.[7]
The tree is of special concern, as it is being harvested at a high
rate to obtain safrole, a
primary ingredient in the manufacture of the psychoactive
drug MDMA. Much of this
illicit harvesting is happening in the Cardamom
Mountains in Cambodia[8].
An extract from the bark has been shown in rats to be a possible treatment for hyperglycemia[9].
Classification System: APG II (down to family level)
Main Page
Cladus: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiospermae
Cladus:Magnoliids
Ordo: Laurales
Familia: Lauraceae
Genus: Cinnamomum
Species: Cinnamomum
parthenoxylon
Cinnamomum parthenoxylon (Jack) Meisn.
Laurus porrecta Roxb.
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