Moolaga Shembaga Palai / Chinese Cinnamon
Neolitsea cassia
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh
- Flowering
- March-May
Plant Details
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- LanceolaterecordedLong and narrow, tapering to a point, like a lance head.“Leaves are lanceolate in shape with a slightly pointed base and a tapering pointed apex, about 6–18 cm long and 1.5–4 cm broad.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- GlabrousrecordedSmooth, hairless.“The leaf flush is smooth, silvery copper, drooping, crowded at the ends of branchlets, and turn bright green when mature.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Moolaga Shembaga Palai itself; the rest are typical of the Lauraceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded“Pale yellow flowers are seen in small clusters borne on short branchlets on the internodes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Drupe
Characters marked “recorded” are for Moolaga Shembaga Palai itself; the rest are typical of the Lauraceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Tamil
- மொலகா செம்பக பாளை Moolaga Shembaga Palai, படபடா Patapataa
- Telugu
- కుక్క కర్పూరమ
- Kannada
- ಬಿಳಿ ನಿಸಂಗಿ Bili Nisangi, ಮಸ್ಸಿಮರ Massimara
- Malayalam
- കീഴമ്പഴം Keezhambazham, പ്രാവരി Praavari, വെള്ളക്കൊടല Vellakkodala
- Marathi
- चिरचिरा Chirchira, कानवेल Kanvel
About Moolaga Shembaga Palai
Chinese Cinnamon (Neolitsea cassia) is a tree in the Lauraceae family. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu and Arunachal Pradesh. It grows in evergreen and shola forests. Flowering and fruiting run from March to May.

Lauraceae
Laurel/Cinnamon family
Moolaga Shembaga Palai belongs to the Lauraceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Lauraceae family →Snap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Moolaga Shembaga Palai or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.



