ແຄຫອມ / Cassia Cinnamon

This medium-sized evergreen tree, 20-25 m tall and up to 70 cm in DBH, has smooth brown or dark-grey bark, and a red-brown inner bark that is sticky and wet with a spicy sweet aroma. The odour resembles that of cinnamon, but is less delicate; the taste is more sticky and sour or bitter. The thick leaves have three main nerves starting at the leaf base, and are aromatic when crushed. They are 2.5-5.8 cm wide and 12-23 cm long. The young stems are brown and hairy. Inflorescences are 8-16 cm long with yellow-white flowers. The purple fruit is fleshy with a single seed, 1-3 cm long and 0.5-1 cm wide. There is much confusion in the large Cinnamomum genus, but in the ASEAN region three main species (C. camphora, C. glauscens, C. iners) are the source of the spice commonly called cassia or cinnamon. A classification system has been developed on the basis of species and origin, because each type has a distinctive flavour and other characteristics. C. cassia and C. camphora both have leaves with three nerves, but C. cassia has very fragrant leaves. C. glauscens and C. iners both have leaves with a feather-like nervation, and are both taller trees than C. cassia and C. camphora.