Camphora officinarum
Camphora officiinarum, commonly known as Camphor, is a versatile medicinal plant valued for its aromatic, cooling properties. Extracted from the wood of the camphor laurel, this essential oil serves as a powerful decongestant, analgesic, and antiseptic. It is widely utilized in traditional remedies to soothe aches and respiratory discomfort.
- Scientific name: Camphora officinarum
- Family: Lauraceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is classified within the order Laurales and the family Lauraceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic designation is within the genus Cinnamomum (often associated with Camphora), though per your classification, it resides in the genus Camphora.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Laurales | WCVP |
| Family | Lauraceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Camphora | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Cinnamomum camphora (often referred to in botanical contexts as Campora officinalis), is known by several common names across different Chinese linguistic variations. In Mandarin Chinese, it is referred to as 樟 (zh), and specifically in Mainland China (zh-cn) and Taiwan (zh-tw), it is commonly known as 樟.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh | 樟 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 樟 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 樟 | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several distinct tropical regions. In West Tropical Africa, its presence has been documented specifically within Guinea. Its range also extends to West-Central Tropical Africa, where it can be found around the Gulf of Guinea Islands. Furthermore, the species is distributed throughout the Western Indian Ocean. Within this ocean region, it inhabits the islands of Mauritius, Réunion, and the Seychelles.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Gulf of Guinea Is. | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Mauritius | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Réunion | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Seychelles | WCVP |
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | Hainan | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Japan | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Korea | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as camphor, utilizes various anatomical structures for its therapeutic properties. The aromatic essence is most famously derived from the leaves and the wood, which contain high concentrations of camphor oil. Additionally, the stem barks are often harvested to extract medicinal compounds. In certain preparations, the seed kernel is utilized, and the extracted seed kernel oil serves as a potent base for various topical applications and traditional remedies.- Total parts
- 12
- Scientific sources
- 16
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| seed kernel | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| seed kernel oil | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| wood | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem barks | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seeds | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaf | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fruits | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| essential oil | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Camphora officinarum has 16 reported activities identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Antiinflammatory, Analgesic, Anticancer.
- Total activities
- 16
- Scientific sources
- 20
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiinflammatory | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifungal | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antihyperlipidemic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiinfective | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antinociceptive | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |