Teja, Medang kemangi
Cinnamomum puberulum
Family: Lauraceae
What it is like
A tree. It grows up to 15 m tall. The trunk is 40 cm across. The young twigs are pale yellow and hairy. The older twigs lose their hairs and are blackish. The leaves are alternate and have 3 veins. The leaf stalk is 1.5 cm long. The blade is 6.5-13 cm long by 2.5-3.5 cm wide. They are leathery. The flowers are in a panicle and can be at the ends of branches or in the axils. The flower arrangements are 6 cm long. The fruit is long and is a one seeded berry. It is 1 cm long by 0.6 cm wide.
There are about 250 Cinnamomum species.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in lowland and mountain forest.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Malaysia, SE Asia
How it is used for food
The bark is used as a spice to flavour curries.
Edible parts
Bark, spice