Cinnamon, also known as cinnamon, is one of the earliest spices used by mankind. [1]
Basic Information
Chinese Name
Cinnamon Pi
Alias
Chai Cinnamon, Mountain Cinnamon, Earth Cinnamon
Latin Name
Cinnamomum tamala (Bauch.-Ham.) Nees et Eberm
Pinyin
Gui Pi
Boundary
Botany
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Basic Description
Morphological Characteristics
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Tree, up to 20 m tall, 20 cm d.b.h.; bark grayish-brown, aromatic. Branches terete, laurel (2) tea-brown, glabrous, young branches sizzling less angular, slightly grayish white puberulent at first, after the indumentum gradually fall off. Leaves alternate or sometimes subopposite in the upper part of young branches, ovoid, oblong or lanceolate, 7.5-15 cm long, (2-5)3-5.5 cm wide, apex long acuminate, base acute or broadly cuneate, thinly coriaceous, green above, shiny, greenish-white below, obscure, glabrous on both surfaces, triple veined from the base, with the midvein running straight through the leaf end, and the lateral veins arising from the base of the leaf at a point of 5-10 mm, obliquely curved upwards, disappearing underneath, with the lateral veins in the upper part. disappearing below the leaf tip, with lateral veins slightly raised above but very raised below, transverse veins undulate, veinlets reticulate, both more or less conspicuous on both surfaces; petiole 0.5-1.3 cm, slightly grooved ventrally, glabrous. Panicles axillary and terminal, 5-10 cm long, many-flowered, branched, branches ending in 3-5-flowered cymes, pedicels 1-4 cm long, sparsely grayish fine puberulent with all levels of the inflorescence axis.
Flowers white-green, up to 6 mm long; pedicel 4-6 mm long, slender, grayish fine puberulent. Perianth outside sparsely densely gray-white pubescent inside, perianth tube obconic, short, less than 2 mm, perianth lobes obovate-oblong, ca. 4 mm, ca. 1.5 mm wide, apex obtuse. Fertile stamens 9, filaments grayish white pilose, first and second round of stamens 3.8 mm long, anthers ovate-oblong, 1.3 mm long, locules 4, introrse, filaments slender, up to 2.5 mm long, eglandular, third round of stamens 4 mm long, anthers oblong, 1.5 mm long, locules 4, extrorse, filaments ca. 2.5 mm, with a pair of finely stalked ovate-ovate-cordate glands in the lower 1/3. Staminodes 3, in innermost whorl, pilose, 1.7 mm long, apex triangular-sagittate, long-stalked. Ovary ovoid, 1.2 mm long, pilose, style slender, 3.6 mm long, stigma small, inconspicuous. Mature fruit not seen. Fl. around Apr-May.
1. Geranium evergreen tree. Cinnamon bark, also known as fragrant cinnamon, is the common name for the bark of the camphor plant geranium, yinxiang, fine-leafed fragrant cinnamon or Sichuan cinnamon. This product is a food spice or cooking seasoning. The original plant of commercial cinnamon is relatively complex, there are about ten species, all of which are Camphoraceae camphor plants. Commonly used in various parts of the eight species, including the main cinnamon, blunt-leafed cinnamon, Yinxiang and South China cinnamon and other species are mostly regional medicine.
The height can be 17 m. The bark is ochre-black and fragrant. Leaves alternate, decussate near branch tips; slightly leathery; long elliptic or elliptic, 9-12cm long, 3-5cm wide, apex obtuse, base acute, entire, dark green above, shiny, slightly lighter below; with off-base 3 outgoing veins, central main vein dividing into 1-2 pairs of lateral veins at the top; petiole smooth. Flowers 5-6, in umbels, in leaf axils of new shoots; flowers small, base cylindric, perianth 6-lobed, in 2 whorls, broadly elliptic or elliptic, inner whorl of 3 longer; developing stamens 9, arranged in 3 whorls, outer 2 whorls of anthers introrse, filament bases eglandular, 3rd whorl of anthers extrorse, filament bases 2-glandular, innermost surface still with 1 whorl of staminodes; pistil 1, ovary superior, style minute. Berry globose, dark purple, base with persistent calyx tube, entire. Fl. Fruit ripening in December.
2, Yin Xiang. Evergreen tree, up to 20 m. Branchlets russet, glabrous. Leaves nearly opposite or scattered, leathery, ovate or long elliptic, 6-10cm long, 2-4cm wide, apex short acuminate, base cuneate to nearly rounded, entire; green above, glossy, pinkish-green below, glabrous on both surfaces, with off-base 3-exserted veins, no elevated glands in the axils of the veins; petiole 8-12mm long; panicle terminal or axillary; flowers small, greenish-white, perianth 6, slightly connate at base, 4-5mm long, covered on both sides. 5mm, both surfaces pilose; fertile stamens 9, arranged in 3 series, outer 2 series of anthers introrse, third series of anthers extrorse, anthers ovate, 4-loculed, valvate, filaments short, innermost 1 series of staminodes; pistil 1, ovary superior, 1-loculed, 1-ovuled, style fine, stigma small. Berry drupelike, ovate, less than 1 cm long, ca. 5 mm in diam., base with fertile cup-shaped persistent perianth, its apex with 6 truncate short lobes. Fl. Fruiting April-October.
3, fine-leaved cinnamon, evergreen tall trees. Bark gray, branchlets densely silky hairs. Leaves opposite in new branches, alternate in old branches, leathery, ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, 4-14cm long, 1-6cm wide, apex long acuminate, base cuneate, entire, green above, glossy, densely sericeous-pubescent below, with off-base 3 emergent veins, conspicuously elevated on the back. Panicles axillary; pedicels and pedicels densely white pubescent; flowers yellowish, perianth 6-lobed, base cylindric; stamens, pistil similar to those of former species. Berry ellipsoid, base with persistent calyx tube, entire. Fl. Fruiting June-December.
4, Sichuan laurel, evergreen tall trees. Branches purple gray-brown, smooth. Leaves alternate or subopposite; leathery, ovate to long ovate, 8-15cm long, 3-5cm wide, apex acuminate and apex obtuse, base cuneate or obtuse, entire, green above, glabrous, tinged with white powder below, with white silky hairs when young, gradually glabrescent; with off-base 3-exserted veins, not elevated below. Flowers small, white, in panicles or umbels; pedicels slender, 1-6 cm long, smooth or slightly hairy, pedicels filiform, apex acuminate, finely hairy; perianth 6-lobed, sparsely sericeous inside and outside; stamens and pistil similar to those of the preceding species. Berry base with truncate persistent calyx tube, entire. Fl. Fruiting July-October.
Growth
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Born in broad-leaved evergreen forests on mountain slopes or in valleys or by water, 1180-1930 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Yunnan, Zhejiang.
Range of distribution
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Produced in western Yunnan. It is also found in Nepal, Bhutan, and India.
The bark of the camphoraceous tree plants Geranium cinnamon and Yinxiang. Geranium cinnamon, also known as Sichuan cinnamon, earth cinnamon bark, distributed in China in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and other places; Yinxiang, also known as mountain cinnamon, Lianxiang tree, distributed in the central and southern and Fujian, Zhejiang, Guizhou, Yunnan and other places.
Main values
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Cinnamon (2)
Cinnamon contains volatile oils and has a rich aroma, which can make meat dishes to dispel fishy and unctuous, aromatic and delicious, and thus increase the appetite. Adding cinnamon in moderation to the daily diet may help prevent or delay type II diabetes caused by old age. According to the British magazine New Scientist: cinnamon can reactivate the ability of fat cells to respond to insulin, greatly speeding up the metabolism of glucose. Adding 1/4 to 1 tsp of ground cinnamon to a drink or liquid food every day may have a preventive effect on type II diabetes. Cinnamon bark contains phenylacrylic acid compounds, which have a therapeutic effect on prostate hyperplasia, and it can increase the blood flow of prostate tissues quality yellow cinnamon bark, to promote the improvement of local tissue blood flow. Cinnamon bark is the bark of the camphor plant geranium, yinxiang, fine-leafed fragrant cinnamon or Sichuan cinnamon, usually harvested in the winter, and dried in the shade can be used for medicine. At the same time, cinnamon has medicinal properties, Chinese medicine, cinnamon is hot, sweet and pungent, aromatic, non-toxic, with a warm stomach, cold blood and tendons, blood and pain and diarrhea functions. The main treatment of abdominal cold chest, vomiting and choking, rheumatism and paralysis, bruises and stagnation, blood dysentery and intestinal wind and other diseases.
Damp and moldy cinnamon should not be eaten. The amount should not be too much, too much flavor will affect the flavor of the dish itself. Cinnamon has a strong aroma and contains safrole, which can cause cancer, so the less you eat, the better, and should not be consumed for a long time. Cinnamon is hot, so it should be avoided in summer. Cinnamon has the effect of activating the blood, pregnant women eat less.
Species classification
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Cinnamon bark is divided into barrel cinnamon, thick cinnamon, thin cinnamon three kinds. Barrel cinnamon for young cinnamon tree skin, fine, clean, sweet aroma, taste positive, earthy yellow, the best quality, can be chopped to do stir-fry seasoning; thick cinnamon skin rough, thick flavor, skin color is purple-red, the best for stewing meat; thin cinnamon outer skin micro-fine, thin meat grain, thin taste, less flavor, the surface of the skin is gray, the inner skin of the reddish-yellow, the use of the same as the thick cinnamon.
Main Ingredients
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Nutritional Content
Nutrients
Content
Nutrients
Content
Carbohydrates (g)
71.50
Fat (g)
2.70
Thiamine ( mg)
0.01
Selenium (mcg)
0.80
Manganese (mg)
10.81
Calcium (mg)
88.00
Copper (mg)
0.63
Protein (grams)
11 ,70
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Chemical Composition
The bark of Geranium cinereum contains about 1% volatile oil, with hydrocotyle, eugenol, and methyl eugenol. Leaves contain volatile oil of about 1%, containing about 60% of safrole, about 3% of eugenol, 1,8-pressing the leaves and so on.
The bark of fine-leafed cinnamon contains about 1% volatile oil and 12.8% tannin. Leaves contain volatile oil about 1%. The seeds contain 40% fat oil.
Identification
Editorial
Microscopic identification
1. The cortical cells of Geranium cinnamomum are slightly smaller than those of Cinnamomum cassia, irregularly arranged, with a thick wall, square-like, and containing small square crystals; the stromal sheath part of the stroma is composed of 2-10 groups of stromatolite cells scattered sparsely and not connected into a ring, and the stromatolite cells are oblong or orbicular-like, with a diameter of 28-40 μm, and the wall mostly thinner and about 6-8(-12) μm thick. There are few stone cells in the phloem, with secretory cells and cells containing brown inclusions scattered; the ray cells contain small square crystals and sand crystals.
2. For Yin Xiang, see the article on the skin of Yin Xiang. (3)The cortical cells of Cinnamomum cinnamomi are small, square or triangular, neatly arranged, with thickened wall or inner wall, with pores, containing brown inclusions and small square crystals of calcium oxalate; there are groups of stony cells scattered, and stony cells are rounded, with a diameter of 20-40 μm, and ellipsoid ones with a length of 24-72 μm, a width of 20-30 μm, and a wall thickness of 6-10(-14) μm.
3)
There are fewer stony cells at the mid-column sheath part. The stone cells of the phloem are rounded. The ray cells contain calcium oxalate square crystals, 4-6 μm in diameter, rectangular crystals, 4-12 μm wide, up to 28 μm. chemical identification thin-layer chromatography: take 0.5 g of the powder, add 10 ml of ethanol, tightly plugged, shaking, cold immersed in 20 minutes, filtration, filtrate, the filtrate as a test solution. Another cinnamaldehyde with ethanol to make 1 μl per ml of the control solution, absorb the test solution 10-15 μl, 2 μl of the control solution, were spotted on the same silica gel G thin-layer plate to petroleum ether (60-90 ℃) - ethyl acetate (85:15) unfolding, remove to dry, spray 0.1% 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine test solution. The chromatogram of the test solution showed spots of the same color at the corresponding positions with the chromatogram of the control solution.