See text Cinnamomum is a genus of evergreen aromatic trees and shrubs belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae.
The genus includes a great number of economically important trees used to produce the spice of cinnamon.
This genus is present in the Himalayas and other mountain areas and is present in tropical and subtropical montane rainforests, in the weed-tree forests, in valleys, and mixed forests of coniferous and deciduous broad-leaved trees, from southern China, India, and Southeast Asia.
Their alternate leaves are ovate-elliptic, with margins entire or occasionally repand, with acute apices and broadly cuneate to subrounded bases.
Upper leaf surfaces are shiny green to yellowish-green, while the undersides are opaque and lighter in color.
Other notable species are C. tamala, used as the herb malabathrum (also called tejpat and Indian bay leaf), and C. camphora, from which camphor is produced.