Cyperus Oil

#### Cyperus Oil. Various essential oils from the roots of certain tropical grasses appear on the perfumery market under the above name. The greater part of these oils are used locally, but one seems to have obtained more than local interest: The essential oil of the rootlets of **Cyperius**** ****Scariosus**** **(or cyperus scariosus) is marketed under the brand name of **Cypriol **in India. The oil has been known for many decades in its home country where the roots are used in the same way as vetiver roots for the scenting of sari’s and other women’s clothing. The grass is locally known as **Nagar Mustaka**. **Cypriol**** **is produced by steam distillation of roots and rhizomes after proper washing, drying and comminuting, similar to the treatment of vetiver rootlets. The distillation is a lengthy process since all the volatile constituents of this botanical material are high-boiling: sesquiterpenes, sesquiterpene alcohols, sesquiterpene ketones, etc. —a composition very similar to that of vetiver oil. Oil of **Cyperus Scariosus **(“**Cypriol**”) is an amber colored or light brown viscous liquid of woody-earthy and very tenacious odor. The very first impression of the odor of this oil bears great resemblance to the odor-impression of the “Oriental” cinnamon-olibanum complex: diffusive, dry, woody, slightly spicy. The overall body- note resembles that of Virginia cedarwood and vetiver oils, but toward the dryout there is a strong similarity to vetiver in sweet-woody and rich undertones. Apart from the excitingly fresh topnote this oil is distinguished by a firm uniformity in odor throughout all stages of evaporation. **Cypriol **blends well with bergamot, labdanum, patchouli, sage clary, etc. for dry ambre notes which can be further enhanced by the addition of very small amounts of “fixateur 404” or the complex “grisambrol”, etc. Cypriol is useful in perfumes or bases of the woody, Oriental or dry-ambre types, in heavy fougères, in hyacinth (along with galbanum resinoid), in forest notes and in general as a fixative. In higher concentrations it will display its peculiar, soft-woody note and intriguing topnotes. The relatively low cost of this oil makes it attractive even in soap perfumery where its odor-tenacity and stability come to their right. **Cypriol **is produced on a limited scale by one producer in India. The annual production is perhaps in excess of 2 metric tons, but this figure could easily be increased since the natural raw material is abundantly at hand. Among the other Cyperus species which grow in tropical and semi-tropical regions all over the world, only a few have caught the perfumer’s interest: Oil of **Cyperus Rotundus **(in French: “souchet rond”) is steam distilled from the rootlets of a grass which grows in China, India, Japan and scattered over parts of Sudan south of Sahara. The African **Cyperus**** ****Rotundus**** **is, to the author’s knowledge, not distilled locally. Shipments of the rootlets arrive irregularly in Europe where an essential oil is distilled upon demand for certain perfume houses. **Cyperus**** ****Rotundus**** ****Oil**** **is a yellowish or amber- colored to dark orange-brown (locally distilled oil) or pale yellow-brown (European distilled) viscous liquid. Its odor is quite interesting. The topnote is almost floral-woody, resembling cassie and boronia with a violet-like or tea-like warmth. The odor becomes drier and more woody, borneole-like, camphor-like but it remains faintly floral throughout the long-lasting dryout. The oil blends well with mimosa absolute, cassie, costus, methylionones, isoeugenol, oakmoss absolute, sage clary, etc. There are some facts which confirm the possibility of confusion of this oil with vetiver oil from certain parts of Africa. Small shipments of southwest African vetiver oil arrive occasionally in Europe. These oils often display quite abnormal physical constants, such as strong laevo-rotation and very high ester number. Some of the **Cyperus**** **oils are naturally laevo-rotatory and they do have odor types similar to that of vetiver oil, however, more to the dry, cedarwood-like type. The grass **Cyperus**** ****Rotundus**** **is very abundant in certain of the above mentioned areas, but the production of root oil is still very occasional and irregular. Accordingly, the oil of cyperus rotundus is not a regularly available or commercial item in Europe or in the U.S.A. **Cyperus Longus **is a west-Sudanese grass. Its rootlets are collected by the natives in West Africa (formerly A. O. F.) for the purpose of scenting their clothes, etc. The roots smell woody-violet-like, reminiscent of alpha-Ionone, but the author has no personal experience with the essential oil of **Cyperus Longus**, if this oil is produced at all. In respect to odor, the roots resemble the wood of the Australian **Acacia Homalophylla**, the so-called Australian **Violetwood**. The foliage of various **Cyperus**** **species in China and Japan are twined into ropes which are commercially known as “sea-grass” and used for seats, baskets, etc.