Cinnamomum verum

Family: Belongs to the Lauraceae or Laurel family, which includes the Avocado (Persea americana), several trees of the Dominica rain forest - Laurier Jaune (Aniba bracteata) and Laurier Zaboca (Nectandra dominicana), for example - and the culinary Bay Laurel or Bay Tree (Laurus nobilis) of the Mediterranean. [The last is distinct from the West Indian Bay Tree (Pimenta racemosa) of the Myrtaceae family, used in Bay Oil production for colognes and aftershave lotions.]

Natural Habitat: Moist tropical lowlands on deep alluvial sandy soils; propagation by seed with germination in about 3 weeks.

Origin and Distribution: Native to Sri Lanka and S. India; distributed variously throughout tropics and sub-tropics.