Cinnamosma madagascariensis

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Common products:
Distillation of fresh leaves yields a pale‑yellow essential oil. The heartwood provides a dense, durable timber. The outer bark supplies a strong bast fiber suitable for cordage.

Industrial and craft applications:
The leaf essential oil is employed as a fragrance component in fine perfumery, soaps, and detergents, providing a fresh cineole aroma. Locally harvested timber is used for structural beams, flooring, and furniture, and is also carved for decorative objects. The bark fiber is processed into rope, woven mats, and traditional basketry.

Wood and fiber:
The heartwood has a specific gravity of about 0.78 g cm⁻³ and a modulus of rupture of roughly 85 MPa, giving it high strength for construction. Its natural extractives confer resistance to termites and fungal decay, extending service life. The bast fibers, comprising mainly cellulose and lignin, display high tensile strength and low moisture absorption, making them suitable for durable cordage and woven goods.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
The oil is dominated by 1,8‑cineole (≈45 % of the total), together with α‑pinene (≈12 %) and limonene (≈5 %). This composition yields a strong, fresh, cineole‑type scent that is compatible with alcohol‑based perfume formulations. It is incorporated into fragrance blends, scented soaps, and some personal‑care products as a natural aroma agent.

Properties relevant to use:
The high 1,8‑cineole content provides aromatic and preservative qualities that are exploited in fragrance applications. In the wood, a combination of high lignin content (≈30 % of dry mass) and extractives (≈5 %) contributes to dimensional stability and natural decay resistance. The bast fibers exhibit a tensile strength exceeding 500 MPa and low shrinkage on drying, supporting long‑lasting cordage.

Standards and regulation:
Essential oil production follows ISO 3216 (Essential oils – General requirements) and the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) Code of Practice, which set limits on component concentrations for safety. Timber from the species is regulated under Madagascar’s national forestry law and may be graded according to EN 1316 (Timber structures – Structural timber) when used in construction.

Sustainability and sourcing:
Cinnamosma madagascariensis is endemic to Madagascar and is assessed as Near‑Threatened on the IUCN Red List, primarily due to habitat loss and selective harvesting. Sustainable harvesting protocols recommend selective logging, limited extraction volumes, and community‑based forest management to maintain viable populations. CITES listings do not apply, but adherence to local conservation policies is required.

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No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

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