Herb Of The Week - Patchouli - Grieve

[Guest guest]

About patchouli, from A Modern Herbal by Maud Grieve, first published in

1931 ... still available in print (in 2 Volumes) and now available in

electronic form online at:

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/mgmh.html

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

 

Shea Butter On Special This Week

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

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Patchouli

 

 

Botanical: Pogostemon patchouli (PILL.)

Family: N.O. Labiatae

 

 

Synonym - Pucha-pat.

Part Used - The herb, yielding a volatile oil by distillation.

Habitat - East and West Indies and Paraguay.

 

 

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Description - This fragrant herb, with soft, opposite, egg-shaped leaves

and square stems, grows from 2 to 3 feet in height, giving out the

peculiar, characteristic odour of patchouli when rubbed. Its whitish

flowers, tinged with purple, grow in both axillary and terminal spikes.

The crop is cut two or three times a year, the leaves being dried and

packed in bales and exported for distillation of the oil. The best oil

is freshly distilled near the plantations. That obtained from leaves

imported into Europe, often damaged and adulterated even up to 80 per

cent, is inferior. It is used in coarser perfumes and in 'White Rose'

and 'Oriental' toilet soaps. Although the odour is objectionable to

some, it is widely-used both in Asia and India. Sachets are made of the

coarsely-powdered leaves, and before its common use in Europe, genuine

Indian shawls and Indian ink were distinguished by the odour, which has

the unusual quality of improving with age. Hence the older oil is

preferred by perfumers and used to confer more lasting properties upon

other scents.

 

Constituents - Oil of Patchouli is thick, the colour being

brownish-yellow tinted green. It contains coerulein, the vivid blue

compound found in matricaria, wormwood and other oils. It deposits a

solid, or stearoptene, patchouli alcohol, leaving cadinene.

 

 

It is laevorotatory, with the specific gravity of 0.970 to 0.990 at 15

degrees C. (59 degrees F.).

 

 

Medicinal Action and Uses - Its use is said to cause sometimes loss of

appetite and sleep and nervous attacks. The Chinese, Japanese and Arabs

believe it to possess prophylactic properties.

 

 

Other Species and Adulterations

 

 

Java patchouli, often grown in Indian gardens for home use, is a product

of Pogostemon Heyneanus.

 

 

The inferior oil of Assam is from Microtoena cymosa.

 

 

Cubeb and cedar oils are said to be usual adulterants.