cinnamon plant

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• cinnamon plant

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Laurales and the family Lauraceae, it is classified under the genus Cinnamomum.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is characterized by a very specific and limited geographical range. It is found exclusively within the region of Eastern Asia. Within this vast territory, its distribution is confined specifically to the island of Taiwan. Because of this restricted habitat, the species is considered an endemic plant of the area. Consequently, its natural presence is entirely dependent on the unique environmental conditions of the Taiwanese landscape.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Cinnamomum kotoense is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to maintain its presence in its natural habitat over many years. As an evergreen plant, it retains its foliage throughout the year, ensuring continuous photosynthetic activity and providing a stable structure within its ecosystem. This combination of a long-lived lifecycle and persistent greenery enables the plant to establish a consistent ecological niche, contributing to the structural complexity of the environments it inhabits.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Cinnamomum kotoense is characterized by a robust, woody growth form, specifically identifying it as a tree. This species exhibits a significant stature, reaching an average plant height of approximately 15 m. In terms of its structural habit, the plant is classified as a self-supporting tree, maintaining its upright posture without the need for climbing mechanisms.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

tree

Plant height mean:

15 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Cinnamomum kotoense is characterized by specific vegetative dimensions that define its foliar structure and photosynthetic capacity. The leaf morphology exhibits a controlled range of development, with mean leaf lengths measuring approximately 9.5 cm, though they can fluctuate from a minimum of 8 cm to a maximum of 11 cm. Complementing this longitudinal growth is a consistent lateral expansion, where the leaf width maintains a mean of 4.75 cm. This width varies within a narrow physiological margin, ranging from a minimum of 4 cm to a maximum of 5.5 cm. These precise morphological parameters suggest a specialized adaptation in leaf surface area, which plays a critical role in the plant's metabolic efficiency and its ability to manage gas exchange and light interception within its natural habitat.

Leaf length max:

11 cm

Leaf length mean:

9.5 cm

Leaf length min:

8 cm

Leaf width max:

5.5 cm

Leaf width mean:

4.75 cm

Leaf width min:

4 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction of Cinnamomum kotoense culminates in the development of characteristic fruits that exhibit highly consistent morphological dimensions. The fruiting bodies are characterized by a uniform size, with the fruit length measuring a mean of 1.4 cm, a value that also represents both the minimum and maximum recorded lengths. Similarly, the fruit width maintains a strictly consistent measurement of 1 cm, which serves as the mean, minimum, and maximum width for the species. This lack of variance in both length and width indicates a highly stabilized reproductive output in terms of fruit morphology.

Fruit length max:

1.4 cm

Fruit width max:

1 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Cinnamomum kotoense has 2 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, stem.

Leaf

1. Journal of natural products

Stem

1. Journal of natural products

Chemicals

Cinnamomum kotoense has 11 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 2-acetyl-5-dodecylfuran, Isokotomolide A, Isoobtusilactone A, Kotodiol, Kotolactone A.

2-acetyl-5-dodecylfuran

1. Journal of natural products

Isokotomolide A

1. Journal of natural products

Isoobtusilactone A

1. Journal of natural products

Kotodiol

1. Journal of natural products

Kotolactone A

1. Journal of natural products

Kotolactone B

1. Journal of natural products

Kotomolide A

1. Journal of natural products

Kotomolide B

1. Journal of natural products

Lincomolide B

1. Journal of natural products

SECOKOTOMOLIDE A

1. Journal of natural products

Activities

Cinnamomum kotoense has 1 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antitubercular.

Antitubercular

1. Journal of natural products

Preparations

Cinnamomum kotoense has 2 reported preparations identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include leaves, stem wood.

Leaves

1. Journal of natural products

Stem wood

1. Journal of natural products