Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Cinnamomum camphora

A‘i

Camphor Tree

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Leaves and growth buds	85KB
Image:	Buds and new growth	79KB
Image:	Leaves and flowers	33KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Camphor Tree, Camphor Laurel; German Kampferbaum

TRADITIONAL NAMES: A‘i (RR)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.China - s.Japan

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised; Land, lowlands, gardens

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine

KEY FEATURES: Tree to 30m, with rounded crown. LEAVES alternate, brittle, ovate to wide-ovate, to 10x6cm, tip drawn-out and sharp, margin smooth and wavy; obvious glands (=domatia) at base of 2-5 main veins; stalk slender, to 4cm. GROWTH BUDS in axils, cone-like, to 15x8mm(LxØ); scales (=bracts) many, wide and triangular. FLOWERS in small clusters; small, petals (=tepals), white, ~round, to 2mm. FRUIT round.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea: -
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+X	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Cinnamomum camphora Linnaeus
SYNONYMS: Laurus camphora

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); MAGNOLIIDAE; Laurales; LAURACEAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Medicine. Comments: Occasionally used for medicine on Rarotonga.

GENERAL NOTE: Elsewhere camphor oil is distilled from leaves and young parts.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: 1 fieldspecimen, Takamoa driveway, c.1990, GM; removed by 2001, GM.

References:
p.846 Wagner et al.- Flowering Plants of Hawaii
p.362 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.272 Hortus 3rd
p.253 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.534 Tropica
p.2/122 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.51 R Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM04b, zupM04b, zD02, zupD04b

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List