Camphor Tree

Location in BHU campus : Planted in Botanical and Ayurvedic gardens.

Botanical name : Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Nees

Family : Lauraceae

Vernacular / local Name : Hindi-Kapur, karpur; Tamil-Karpurammu; Telugu–Karppuram.

English names : Camphor Tree

A small to medium-sized evergreen tree up to 18 m hingh, much-branched, with spreading crown and perulate buds. Leaves 6-10 cm long, elliptic-lanceolate or elliptic-ovate, dark-green above and glaucous beneath, 3-nerved. Flowers 4-5 mm diameter, whitish, fragrant, in terminal panicles. Fruit a berry, sub globose, 7-8 mm diameter. Black when ripe.

Flowering: March-May

Fruiting : October –December

• Sacred value

According to Vamana Purana the fragrant material like ‘Karpura’is used in worshipping Mahadeva .

• Uses

Wood is a source of natural camphor which is used for local application for inflammations, rheumatic pains and sprains and internally in diarrhoea and as cardiac stimulant. Stems and leaves yield volatile oils and seeds an aromatic fat.