Cadamba Oil

#### Anthocephalus Cadamba. From the flowers of the **Kadamba**** **(or cadamba) tree in northern India is produced an essential oil by water distillation and a concrète by benzene extraction. The tree grows wild in most parts of India, and it is cultivated in the western and northwestern parts of that country (U. P.). The cadamba tree is related to gardenia and karokaroundé and, although it is not a very large tree, it carries flowers of quite impressive size (average 10 grams per flower). At night, the flowers exhale a strong, heavy-sweet fragrance reminiscent of orange flowers, jasmin, and gardenia. These creamy-colored or orange-yellow flowers form globe-like clusters at the terminal branches, the globes being about 1—2 inches in diameter (2 ½ to 5 cms.). The yield of essential oil is extremely small, and it is necessary to collect the distillate in benzene in order to avoid a total loss of oil in the distillation waters. The yield of concrète from benzene extraction of the flowers is about 0.2%, and the content of absolute in this concrète is very small. **Anthocephalus Cadamba **oil is a pale yellow or yellow oily liquid of a woody-floral and sweet odor with a short-lived, but strong minty-borneolic topnote. The dryout is delightfully sweet-floral, reminiscent of champaca and neroli. The tenacity of this fragrance is almost incredible. In perfumery, the oil could undoubtedly find quite extensive use. It blends excellently with ylang-ylang, neroli, jasmin, cassie, mimosa, alpha-isomethylionone, heliotropine, cassione, aliphatic aldehydes, etc. The full yield of this interesting perfume oil is obtained only when the oil is skillfully and cautiously supported by mild, sweet florals, fixers and modifiers. Neroli oil would supply a suitable topnote. Partly because of the very poor yield by water distillation, partly because of the highly developed local technique of co-distilling botanical material with a certain amount of a more readily available essential oil (in the still pot or the receiver), **Cadamba**** **oil is frequently offered as an "attar", distilled into a receiver with sandalwood oil. Concrète and "attar" of **Cadamba**** **are available on a limited scale, and the items are produced regularly in the provinces where the tree is cultivated. In the author's personal opinion, this is one of the many rare perfume materials which really deserves a permanent and prominent place on the perfumer's shelf.