Cinnamomum iners Reinw. ex Blume, Bijdr. (1826)
Latin for 'not active', i.e. without the characteristic smell of most species in the genus.Synonyms
Cinnamomum aromaticum Zoll.
Cinnamomum curtisii Lukman.
Cinnamomum gracile Miq.
Cinnamomum griffithii Meisn.
Cinnamomum iners var. angustifolium Ridl.
Cinnamomum manillarum de Lukmanoff
Cinnamomum pseudosintok Miq.
Cinnamomum rauwolfii Blume
Cinnamomum reinwardtii Miq.
Laurus caryophyllata Reinw. ex Meisn.
Laurus iners Reinw. ex Nees
Laurus malabathrica Roxb.
Laurus malabathrum Wall.
Laurus malabatrum Lam.
Persea nitida Spreng.
Description
Understorey tree up to 16 m tall and 39 cm dbh. Stipules absent. Leaves
alternate to opposite, simple, tripli-veined, glabrous, sometimes glabrous
below. Flowers ca. 4 mm diameter, white-yellow, placed in axillary panicles.
Fruits ca. 10 mm long, green, fleshy drupes placed on slightly swollen flower
base with persistent calyx lobes.
Ecology
In undisturbed to slightly disturbed mixed dipterocarp and sub-montane
forests up to 1400 m altitude. Mostly on hillsides and along rivers. In heavily
disturbed secondary forests usually present as a pre-disturbance remnant tree.
Uses
The wood is used to make joss sticks, and as a medicine against fever.
As a spice it is extremely variable in quality.
Distribution
Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo (Sarawak, Brunei,
Sabah, West-, Central- and East-Kalimantan), Philippines.
Local names
Borneo: Keningau, Mandiapa, Medang.
