Camphora parthenoxylon
{{Short description|Species of tree}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Cinnamomum parthenoxylon Trunk, Siu Lek Yuen.jpg
|image_caption = The trunk of Cinnamomum parthenoxylon, Siu Lek Yuen Green Trail, Sha Tin, NT, Hong Kong
|status = LC
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|genus = Camphora
|species = parthenoxylon
|authority = (Jack) Nees[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:463145-1 Camphora parthenoxylon (Jack) Nees] Plants of the World Online. Accessed 28 July 2024.
|synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets=true
|title={{small|Synonymy}}
|Camphora chinensis {{small|Nees}}
|Camphora inodora {{small|Blume ex Miq.}}
|Camphora inuncta {{small|Nees}}
|Cinnamomum parthenoxylon {{small|(Jack) Meisn.}}
|Camphora porrecta {{small|(Roxb.) Voigt}}
|Camphora pseudosassafras {{small|Miq.}}
|Cinnamomum barbatoaxillatum {{small|N.Chao}}
|Cinnamomum inodorum {{small|(Blume ex Miq.) Meisn.}}
|Cinnamomum inunctum {{small|(Nees) Meisn.}}
|Cinnamomum malaccense {{small|Meisn.}}
|Cinnamomum neesianum {{small|Meisn.}}
|Cinnamomum penninervium {{small|Kosterm.}}
|Cinnamomum porrectum {{small|Kosterm.}}
|Cinnamomum pseudosassafras {{small|Meisn.}}
|Cinnamomum purpureum {{small|H.G.Ye & F.G.Wang}}
|Laurus chinensis {{small|Nees}}
|Laurus glandulifera {{small|Meisn.}}
|Laurus parthenoxylon {{small|Jack}}
|Laurus porrecta {{small|Roxb.}}
|Laurus pruinosa {{small|Reinw. ex Blume}}
|Laurus pseudosassafras {{small|Blume}}
|Laurus sassafras {{small|Lour.}}
|Litsea pruinosa {{small|Nees}}
|Parthenoxylon porrectum {{small|(Roxb.) Blume}}
|Parthenoxylon pruinosum {{small|Blume}}
|Parthenoxylon pseudosassafras {{small|Blume}}
|Persea pseudosassafras {{small|Zoll. & Moritzi}}
|Phoebe latifolia {{small|Champ. ex Benth.}}
|Sassafras loureiroi {{small|Kostel.}}
|Sassafras parthenoxylon {{small|(Jack) Nees}}
|Tetranthera camphoracea {{small|Wall. ex Meisn.}}
}}
}}
Camphora parthenoxylon is an evergreen tree in the genus Camphora, {{convert|10|-|20|m|abbr=on}} tall. It is native to South and East Asia (Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam).{{eFloras|2|242312976|first1=Xi-wen |last1=Li |first2=Jie |last2=Li |first3=Henk |last3=van der Werff |access-date=27 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203030812/http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242312976 |archive-date=3 February 2014 |url-status=live }}
Nomenclature
Camphora parthenoxylon is known variously as Selasian wood, saffrol laurel, or Martaban camphor wood in English. It has the outdated heterotypic synonym Laurus porrecta (Roxb.). The species name parthenoxylon derives from parthenos xylon ({{langx|el|παρθενός ξύλον}}), meaning "virgin wood".
The common name in Chinese is huangzhang ({{lang|zh|{{linktext|黄|樟}}}}) and in Spanish alcanforero amarillo, both meaning "yellow camphor". In Vietnamese it is called {{lang|vi|re hương}}{{sfnp|Sein|Mitlöhner|2011|p=1}} and in Cambodia, it is thought to be the tree known as {{Transliteration|km|mreah prew phnom}} ({{langx|km|ម្រះព្រៅភ្នំ}}).
Description
Camphora parthenoxylon is an evergreen tree, which grows up to 50 metres tall.Wuu-Kuang, Soh (2011). Taxonomic revision of Cinnamomum (Lauraceae) in Borneo. Blumea – Biodiversity, Evolution and Biogeography of Plants, Volume 56, Number 3, 2011, pp. 241–264(24). Naturalis Biodiversity Center DOI: https://doi.org/10.3767/000651911X615168 with a trunk to 60 cm in diameter. The tree has gray to brown bark. Its leaves are glossy green ovals 7–10 cm long with a point at the end. Like many plants in the Lauraceae, the leaves give off a pleasant smell when crushed. The flowers appear in clusters and are green and very small. The fruits are blackish drupes.
Range and habitat
Camphora parthenoxylon ranges from Nepal and the eastern Himalayas through Assam, Indochina, southern China, Hainan, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and the Lesser Sunda Islands. The species' estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) is very large at 8,025,973 km2, and its estimated area of occupancy (AOO) is 520 km2.
It grows in primary and secondary lowland and montane tropical and subtropical humid forests, from sea level to 2,000 metres elevation. It can grow on sand, sandstone, or granite substrates.
In Borneo it is found in Sarawak (Kuching and Lundu districts), Sabah (Keningau, Kota Belud, Lahad Datu, Pensiangan, Ranau, Sandakan, Tambunan, Tawau, and Tenom districts), and East Kalimantan, where it grows in lowland and montane rain forest to 2000 metres elevation, and is often found in secondary vegetation.
Uses
File:Foliages_Cinnamomum_parthenoxylon.jpg
The aromatic bark of the plant is used for flavoring, not unlike many other Cinnamomum species.{{cite book |last1=Uphof |first1=Johannes Cornelis Theodorus |author-link1=Johannes Cornelius Theodorus Uphof |year=1968 |orig-year=1959 |title=Dictionary of Economic Plants |language=en |edition=second |location=New York, NY |publisher=J. Cramer |page=131 |isbn=9783904144711 |oclc=48693661 }}
The tree is of special concern, as it is being harvested at a high rate to obtain safrole, a precursor to the pesticide synergist piperonyl butoxide, the flavorant and fragrance piperonal, and the psychoactive drug MDMA. Much of this illicit harvesting is happening in the Cardamom Mountains and Botum Sakor National Park in Cambodia at the moment.{{cite web |url=https://www.unodc.org/southeastasiaandpacific/en/project/cambodia/safrole.html |title=Strengthening the response Against Exploitation of Forestry Resources through Organized Law Enforcement (SAFROLE) |publisher=United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime |access-date=18 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119063001/https://www.unodc.org/southeastasiaandpacific/en/project/cambodia/safrole.html |archive-date=19 November 2016 |url-status=live }}
The documentary film "Forest of ecstasy" (Vanguard 2009) is investigating the issue on location.
An extract from the bark has been shown in rats to reduce postprandial hyperglycemia.
In Indonesia, the flowers of C. parthenoxylon symbolize love and connection between the living and the dead. Traditionally, in the Kudus Regency on the island of Java, the flowers were scattered on tombs by family members.
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Conservation
In 2004, the Cambodian government classified C. parthenoxylon as a rare species and prohibited any logging of this tree. In addition, the production, import, and export of safrole rich oils has been illegal in Cambodia since 2007.
In Vietnam the tree is considered critically endangered.
References
{{Reflist|2|refs=
{{Cite episode |title=Forest of Ecstasy |url=http://current.com/shows/vanguard/91315580_forest-of-ecstasy.htm |access-date=8 July 2011 |series=Vanguard |editor=Adam Yamaguchi |editor-link=Adam Yamaguchi |editor2=Joanne Shen |editor3=Mike Horn Yasu Tsuji |network=Current TV |air-date= 29 October 2009 |season=3 |number=3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013132831/http://current.com/shows/vanguard/91315580_forest-of-ecstasy.htm |archive-date=13 October 2011 |url-status=dead
}}
}}
;Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book|last1=Sein |first1=Chaw Chaw |author1-link= |last2=Mitlöhner |first2=Ralph |author2-link= |title=Cinnamomum parthenoxylon (Jack) Meisn: ecology and silviculture in Vietnam |publisher=CIFOR |year=2011 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XajXsI1yvmEC&pg=PA1 |page= |isbn=9786028693660}}
{{refend}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q110692157|from2=Q2629453|from3=Q50846586}}
Category:Critically endangered flora of Asia
Category:Medicinal plants of Asia
Category:Data deficient plants
Category:Flora of tropical Asia
Category:Flora of the Borneo lowland rain forests
Category:Flora of the Borneo montane rain forests