Taxonomy and Ecology of Selected Endemic and Endangered Species of Cinnamomum Schaeff. From the Western Ghats, India

ABSTRACT Cinnamomum is a member of evergreen aromatic trees and shrubs belonging to Lauraceae. It is reported to have approximately 250 valid species, from tropical and subtropical regions of Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia, and Australasia/Oceania. They are economically important trees; leaf extracts are used to treat wounds, fever, intestinal worms, headaches, and menstrual problems and also have higher antimicrobial activity. It was also effective in wound healing treatment. About 49 species have been reported in India, along with 31 endemic species. They are also cultivated as landscape plants due to their enormous economic and medicinal value. Cinnamomum can be characteristically differentiated by its morphological features, including evergreen trees or shrubs, opposite and trinerved or alternate and innerved leaves, paniculate or cymose inflorescences, trimerous flowers, and nine fertile stamens in three whorls. The systematic account of Lauraceae has been notorious due to asynchronous flowering behavior, imperfectly known species, overlapping variation, and parallel evolution of morphological characters. However, limited attempts have been undertaken on the taxonomy and ecology of Cinnamomum in India. This manuscript provides a detailed account of taxonomic description, distributional status, ecology, economic importance, threats, and conservation efforts of nine endemic and threatened species, Cinnamomum chemungianum , C. filipedicellatum , C. gamblei , C. macrocarpum , C. malabatrum, C. perrottetii , C. riparium , C. travancoricum , and C. walaiwarense from the Western Ghats of India.