Sumatra benzoin tree, kemenyan

Styrax benzoin

The species Linnaeus named for the resin. An evergreen of the Sumatran and Malayan highlands, planted in kemenyan gardens around Lake Toba and tapped for decades. Its cinnamate-rich resin is the world's bulk benzoin.

· Atlas · Plant species

Styrax benzoin
FamilyStyracaceae
OrderEricales
HabitEvergreen tree to 30 m, humid highlands
GBIF occurrence records763

Materials

Origins

Recorded in (top countries)

  • Indonesia 247
  • Malaysia 91
  • unknown 61
  • Vietnam 51
  • Thailand 32
  • DR Congo 21
  • Laos 16
  • SG 10

Data: PubChem, GBIF (retrieved 2026-09-09); descriptions by Benjuí.