Taxon: Camphora officinarum Boerh. ex Fabr.

Summary

Genus:

Camphora

Family:

Lauraceae

Nomen number:

512531

Place of publication:

Enum. ed. 2, 400. 1763

Protologue link:

https://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/idurl/1/11478

Verified:

06/05/2025 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

17 (2 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J. Presl
Laurus camphora L.

No images

Conservation Status

Common names

Language	Name	Alternate name	note	seq	Citation
English	camphor		as Cinnamomum camphora	1	Duke, J. A. 1985. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
English	camphor-laurel		as Cinnamomum camphora	1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource). Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
English	camphortree		as Cinnamomum camphora	1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
English	Japanese camphor		as Cinnamomum camphora	1	Newman, M. 1994. (1106) Proposal to reject the name Laurus sumatrensis J. F. Gmel. (Lauraceae). Taxon 43:480. Note: mentions; lists as Cinnamomum camphora Nees & Eberm. as Cinnamomum camphora
English	Japanese camphortree		as Cinnamomum camphora	1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource). Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Afrikaans	kanferboom		as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12 Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Chinese	zhang	樟	as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition). Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
French	camphre		as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
French	camphrier		as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
German	Campher		as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
German	Kampferbaum		as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Italian	canfora		as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Japanese Rōmaji	kusu		as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Japanese Rōmaji	kusu-no-ki		as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Portuguese	árvore-da-camphora		as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Spanish	alcanfor		as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Spanish	alcanforero		as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Swedish	kamferträd		as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource) Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Transcribed Korean	nognamu		as Cinnamomum camphora	2	Mun-Chan, B. et al. 1986. A checklist of the Korean cultivated plants. Kulturpflanze 34:90. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Honshu	w.	Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Kyushu		Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Ryukyu Islands		Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Shikoku		Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	China	China			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Korea			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Vietnam			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Spain	Canarias
4	Naturalized	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa			Henderson, L. 1995. Plant invaders of southern Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute Handbook No. 5. Agricultural Research Council.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Madagascar
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia			Harden, G. J., ed. 1990-1993. Flora of New South Wales.
4	Naturalized	Europe		Europe		s.	Arianoutsou, M. et al. 2021. Alien plants of Europe: introduction pathways, gateways and time trends. PeerJ 9:e11270. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11270. Note: included as an alien, naturalized since the late 19th Century
4	Naturalized	Northern America		United States		s.e.	Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds

Native
Asia-Temperate

EASTERN ASIA: Japan [Honshu (w.), Kyushu, Ryukyu Islands, Shikoku], Taiwan

Cultivated
Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China
EASTERN ASIA: Korea, Japan

Asia-Tropical

INDO-CHINA: Vietnam

Naturalized
Africa

MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias]
SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Madagascar

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia

Europe

REGION: Europe (s.)

Northern America

REGION: United States (s.e.)

Reference(s)

Arianoutsou, M. et al. 2021. Alien plants of Europe: introduction pathways, gateways and time trends. PeerJ 9:e11270. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11270. Note: included as an alien, naturalized since the late 19th Century
Harden, G. J., ed. 1990-1993. Flora of New South Wales.
Henderson, L. 1995. Plant invaders of southern Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute Handbook No. 5. Agricultural Research Council.
Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Environmental	ornamental	urban areas, as Cinnamomum camphora	Kameyama, Y. et al. 2017. Natural genetic differentiation and human-mediated gene flow: the spatiotemporal tendency observed in a long-lived Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae) tree. Tree Genet. Genomes 13:38. DOI: 10.1007/s11295-017-1119-y. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Materials	essential oils	camphor a terpenoid used in food, pharmaceutical industries and for celluloid and smokeless gunpowder; as Cinnamomum camphora	Kameyama, Y. et al. 2017. Natural genetic differentiation and human-mediated gene flow: the spatiotemporal tendency observed in a long-lived Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae) tree. Tree Genet. Genomes 13:38. DOI: 10.1007/s11295-017-1119-y. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Materials	essential oils	source of "hon-sho oil", as Cinnamomum camphora	Oyen, L. P. A. & Nguyen Xuan Dung, eds. 1999. Essential-oil plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 19:74-78. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Materials	fiber	as Cinnamomum camphora	Oyen, L. P. A. & Nguyen Xuan Dung, eds. 1999. Essential-oil plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 19:74-78. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Materials	wood	as Cinnamomum camphora	Oyen, L. P. A. & Nguyen Xuan Dung, eds. 1999. Essential-oil plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 19:74-78. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Materials	wood	timber, as Cinnamomum camphora	Kameyama, Y. et al. 2017. Natural genetic differentiation and human-mediated gene flow: the spatiotemporal tendency observed in a long-lived Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae) tree. Tree Genet. Genomes 13:38. DOI: 10.1007/s11295-017-1119-y. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Medicines	source of pharmaceutical agent	camphor, as Cinnamomum camphora	Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Medicines	source of pharmaceutical agent	camphor, as Cinnamomum camphora	McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Medicines	source of pharmaceutical agent	camphor, as Cinnamomum camphora	Farnsworth, N. R. & D. D. Soejarto. 1988. Global importance of medicinal plants (unpublished draft manuscript rev. 23) Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Non-vertebrate poisons	house pest control	as repellent of moths in clothing, as Cinnamomum camphora	Oyen, L. P. A. & Nguyen Xuan Dung, eds. 1999. Essential-oil plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 19:74-78. Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Weed		as Cinnamomum camphora	Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Weed		as Cinnamomum camphora	Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12 Note: as Cinnamomum camphora
Weed		as Cinnamomum camphora	Campbell, F. T., ed. 1995. Report of National Coalition of Exotic Plant Pest Councils (unpublished draft) Note: as Cinnamomum camphora

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=512531. Accessed 15 April 2026.