- This article is about the ointment historically known as malabathrum, and the leaves from which it was prepared. For one of the plants which was a source of those leaves see Cinnamomum tamala
Malabathrum,
malabathron, or
malobathrum, is the name used in classical and medieval texts for certain
cinnamon-like aromatic plant leaves and an ointment prepared from those leaves.
Cinnamomum tamala (sometimes given as
Cinnamomum tejpata), grown most commonly in the eastern Himalayas, are thought to be notable sources of these leaves, although other species of
Cinnamomum and even plants in other genera may also have been used. In ancient
Greece and
Rome, the leaves were used to prepare a fragrant oil, called
Oleum Malabathri, and were therefore valuable.
