One of the commonest trees in the lowland parts of Ceylon is _Cinnamomum zeylanicum_, a tree of the family _Lauraceæ_, which also contains our native sassafras. From the bark of this tree is derived cinnamon, and from a related Japanese tree, _Cinnamomum Camphora_, camphor is taken. Practically all the _Lauraceæ_ are aromatic shrubs or trees, most of them tropical. Ceylon was occupied by the Portuguese in 1536 for the cinnamon then growing on it, which they forced the native king to supply them. Later the Dutch completely controlled the cinnamon, often burning it in Holland to keep up the price. The British, who took Ceylon in 1796, made a government monopoly of cinnamon, but subsequently turned the plantations over to private interests. The tree is now grown on an extensive scale, not only in Ceylon, but in Java and India. Ceylon still controls the cinnamon market, however. [Illustration: FIG. 106.--CINNAMON A common tree of Ceylon (_Cinnamomum zeylanicum_). From the related _Cinnamomum Camphora_ camphor is derived.] While the wild cinnamon trees reach considerable heights, the cultivated plants are cut so regularly that they almost always throw up a lot of young shoots from the roots, and it is the bark of these that furnishes the spice. When the bark is fit for peeling, the natives cut off the shoots, and strip the bark from them by hand, but with a specially constructed knife. After removal the bark is kept moist and in a day or two the outer skin is scraped off and the bark stretched over a stick, to form the familiar pipes or quills of cinnamon. These are graded, cut to uniform length, and after drying are ready for shipment. All of this is as yet hand work. Other spice plants and condiments are of wide use, but can scarcely be mentioned in detail here. A few of the more important are the following: NAME DERIVED FROM THE NATIVE Allspice or pimento Unripe fruits of West Indies. _Pimenta officinalis_ Cassia bark Bark of _Cinnamomum Cassia_ Eastern Asia. Black pepper Fruit of _Piper nigrum_ Tropical Asia. Cardamoms Fruit of _Elettaria Cardamomum_ Malabar. Capsicum or Cayenne Fruits of species of _Capsicum_ Tropical Asia. pepper Coriander Fruits of _Coriandrum sativum_ Europe. Cumin Fruits of _Cuminum Cyminum_ Mediterranean region. Dill Fruits of _Peucedanum graveolens_ Europe and northern Africa. Ginger Rootstock of (?) _Zingiber officinalis_ Turmeric Rootstock of _Curcuma longa_ Tropical Asia. Mustard Seed of _Brassica nigra_ and _alba_ Old World.