Cengkeh or clove or Eugenia aromaticum (Syzygium aromaticum) is a plant species in Myrtaceae, growing up to 10-20 m, large leaves and dark red flowers are grouped in terminals, dried flower-scented buds, widely used as cooking spices, medical ingredients, oils and main ingredients of typical cigarettes Indonesia.
S. aromaticum has flowers in a pale hue and gradually turns green, then bright red when ready for harvest. Cloves are harvested 1.5-2.0 cm long and consist of long petals which end in four diffuse sepals and four unopened petals that form a small middle ball.
This tree growth requires a tropical and subtropical climate with 2,332 mm/year of rainfall, hillsides and river banks at an altitude of 0-1500 m and a temperature of 20-30C. Trees are propagated vegetatively and generatively. Cultivation in sandy soil, pH 4.5-6, good drainage and high content of organic compounds.
Flower buds have a size of 2 cm and appear after 4-6 years. Flower buds are harvested at maturity before flowering, then dried in the sun until they are dark brown. Wood, leaves and fruit are harvested for processing into clove oil.
Trees produce at maximum age at 7 years and continue to increase until they are 30 years old. After 30 years and over, productivity will decline. High production in a certain year is usually followed by a decrease in production in the next 1-2 years due to large harvests followed by two small harvests.
TAXON
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Subfamily: Myrtoideae
Tribe: Syzygieae
Genus: Syzygium Gaertn. in Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 166 (1788)
Species: Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry in Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n.s., 18: 196 (1939)
HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS
Caryophyllus aromaticus L. in Sp. Pl.: 515 (1753)
Eugenia aromatica (L.) Baill. in Hist. Pl. 6: 311 (1876)
Eugenia caryophyllus (Spreng.) Bullock & S.G.Harrison in Kew Bull. 13: 52 (1958)
Myrtus caryophyllus Spreng. in Syst. Veg., ed. 16. 2: 485 (1825)
HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS
Caryophyllus hortensis Noronha in Verh. Batav. Genootsch. Kunsten 5(4): 11 (1790)
Caryophyllus silvestris Teijsm. ex Hassk. in Abh. Naturf. Ges. Halle 9: 167 (1866)
Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb. in Caryoph. Arom.: 1 (1788)
Jambosa caryophyllus (Thunb.) Nied. in H.G.A.Engler & K.A.E.Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 3(7): 85 (1893)
PUBLICATIONS
Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
Byng, J.W. & al. (2016). Revision of Eugenia and Syzygium (Myrtaceae) from the Comoro archipelago. Phytotaxa 252: 162-184.
Figueiredo, E., Paiva, J., Stévart, T., Oliveira, F. & Smith, G.F. (2011). Annotated catalogue of the flowering plants of São Tomé and Príncipe. Bothalia 41: 41-82.
Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Database in ACCESS: 1-216203. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Govaerts, R., Sobral, N., Ashton, P., Barrie, F., Holst, B.K., Landrum, L.L., Matsumoto, K., Fernanda Mazine, F., Nic Lughadha, E., Proença, C. & al. (2008). World Checklist of Myrtaceae: 1-455. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Karthigeyan, K., Pandey, R.P. & Mao, A.A. (eds.) (2023). Flora of Andaman and Nicobar Islands 2: 1-689. Botanical Survey of India. Ministry of environment, forest and climate change.
Kitalong, A.H., DeMeo, R.A. & Holm, T. (2008). Native Trees Palau. A field guide: 1-236.
Singh, V., Singh, P. & Dash, S.S. (eds.) (2021). Flora of India 9: 1-482. Botanical Survey of India.
Soepadmo, E., swa, L.G., Chung, R.C.K. & Kiew, R. (eds.) (2011). Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak 7: 1-450. Sabah forestry department. Forest research institute and Sarawak forestry department, Malaysia.
Soh, W.K. & Parnell, J. (2015). A revision of Syzygium Gaertn. (Myrtaceae) in Indochina (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam). Adansonia, sér. 3, 37: 179-275.
VERNACULAR NAME
Austria: Gewürznelkenbaum
Chinese (simplified): 丁子香 - 丁香
Chinese (traditional): 丁香
Czech: Hřebíčkovec kořenný
Danish: ægte kryddernellike
English: Clove
Finnish: Mausteneilikka
French: Giroflier
German: Gewürznelkenbaum
Indonesian: Cengkih, Cengkeh
Italian: Chiodo di garofano
Japanese: チョウジノキ - チョウジ
Martinique: Giroflier
Polish: Czapetka pachnąca - Goździkowiec korzenny
Portuguese: Cravo
Russian: Сизигиум ароматный - Гвоздичное дерево
Sinhala: කරාඹු නැටි
Slovak: Klinčekovec voňavý
Spanish: Clavo, clavero
Thai: กานพลู
Turkish: karanfil
Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
Web: https://www.dlium.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium