Cinnamomum nilagiricum Geethakum., Pandur. & Deepu

 
  • Family : LAURACEAE
    (Laurel Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : DALCHINI FAMILY (दालचीनी फैमिली)
  • Family (as per The APG System IV) : Lauraceae
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Cinnamomum nilagiricum Geethakum., Pandur. & Deepu
  • Common name : Nilgiris cinnamon
  • Vernacular name :
    • Kaatu karuvapattai (Tamil)
  • Habit : Tree
  • Habitat : Tropical evergreen forests, along streams
  • Key identification features : Medium-sized evergreen trees, 8–12 m tall; Trunk buttressed at base; Bark brown; Young branchlets slender, terete, covered with appressed hairs; Terminal buds densely sericeous; Leaves opposite or subopposite, rarely alternate, lamina ovate to elliptic or lanceolate, 7.5–12.5 × 2.6–4.3 cm, coriaceous, glabrous, dark green above, light green below, aromatic with a strong camphor scent, base shortly attenuate, apex acute to long-acuminate or caudate, acumen upto 1.5cm, petiole 0.5–1.0 cm long, slender, slightly canaliculate; Inflorescence panicle terminal, axillary to terminal leaves or extra-axillary on new growth, many-flowered, minutely sericeous, main peduncle slender, 3.5–7 cm long, pedicels 4–5 mm long, slender; Flowers greenish-white, 9–12 mm long, 2.5–3 mm across, pubescent; Tepals 6 in two whorls of 3, ovate, ca. 3 mm long, minutely sericeous, denser towards the base and margin, apex obtuse to acute; Stamens 9 in three whorls of 3; Ovary ellipsoid, ca. 1 mm long, glabrous, style ca. 1.2 mm, thick, stigma peltate; Fruit ellipsoid, 8mm long, cupule cup-shaped with conical base, bearing remnants of tepal bases.
  • Flower, Fruit : November-March
  • Distribution :
    • Kerala : Kerala
    • Tamil Nadu : The Nilgiri district
  • Native : India
  • Exotic/Native : Native
  • World Distribution : India
  • Literature :
    • Narasimhan, D. & Irwin, Sheeba. (2021). Flowering Plants of Tamil Nadu: A Compendium.
    • Geethakumary, M & Pandurangan, A G & Sivadas, Deepu. (2015). A new species of Cinnamomum (Lauraceae) from Nilgiris, southern Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa. 224. 283-290. 10.11646/phytotaxa.224.3.7.
  • Read more :
  • Permalink : https://indiatrees-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Cinnamomum nilagiricum
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Trees and Vegetation Types. Cinnamomum nilagiricum. Downloaded on 3 October 2026.

Habitat

Distribution District wise

India Distribution

World Distribution

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