Ciri Anatomi dan Laju Pengeringan Alami Tiga Jenis Kayu Cinnamomum

Abstract

Genus of Cinnamomum is well known enough as medicinal plant since it produces several active substances for many medicinal purposes. The bark, known as kulit kayu manis, and wood were extracted and utilized for food and pharmacy industries. Since the family consists of many species, wood identification as well as its drying rate should be examined well to proper utilization. Therefore, the aim of this research was to study the anatomical characteristic and drying rate of three Cinnamomum species, namely C. burmanii, C. parthenoxylon, and C. subavenium which were obtained from Solok (West Sumatera), Donggala (Central Sulawesi), and Maros (South Sulawesi). Wood and leaves were also collected as the sample. The wood then was utilized for anatomical and drying observations, while the remains for herbarium comparison. Both observations were carried out using the standard procedures. The result indicated that all species have similar wood characteristic such as brown to yellowish in colour; texture fine to rather fine; odoriferous while fresh; sapwood and heartwood indistinct; growth ring distinct; diffuse in porous; solitary and radial multiples of 2(-3) cells; simple perforation plates; intervessel pits alternate; oil and mucilage cells present. Specific character for each species as follow: vessel-ray pitting was much reduced to apparently simple; pits rounded or angular in C. burmanii; tyloses are absent in C. parthenoxylon; and in case of C. subavenium intervessel pittings are alternate, and the pits are polygonal in shape. Drying observation indicated that C. parthenoxylon wood is more easy to be dried with the rate of 5.14% per day compared to C. subavenium (2.55% per day) as well as C. burmanii (2.40% per day) from wet- to equilibrium conditions.