Deertongue

#### Deertongue. Various species of the genus **Liatris**, particularly **Liatris Odoratissima**, grow wild in the southeastern United States, and have been known for their medicinal effects for a long time. The roots were extracted or infused to prepare a medicine of diuretic effect, etc. The leaves of this plant become very fragrant when they are dried. This is similar to the observations one can make with hay, everlasting, woodruff, melilotus, etc. Apparently the aromatic substances are combined (e.g. glycosidically) into odorless materials in the live plant. (See also **Flouve Oil**** **and the above mentioned oils). The leaves of **Deertongue**, as the composite plant is called in the U.S.A., do not yield any essential oil when they are distilled, but a highly aromatic extract, called Oleoresin of Deertongue, is prepared from the dried leaves with a volatile hydrocarbon solvent. After removal of the solvent in vacuum, the oleoresin appears as a dark green, very viscous liquid or semiliquid mass, possessing a heavy-sweet, coumarin-like, rich herbaceous odor. The immediate odor-similarity to shag tobacco is probably a reflection of the fact that the extract has been used since long ago for the flavoring of tobacco. It is interesting to note that extraction has mainly been carried out in Europe, particularly in England and France. Under the name of **Deertongue**, **Lacinaria**** **or **Liatris**** ****Oleoresin**, the extracts have been used for many decades in the food flavoring industry also, until the coumarin ban in 1952. The extract is still used in tobacco flavoring, which is, for some inexplicable reason, considered as "exterior use". In perfumery, however, **Liatris Oleoresin **or **Liatris Absolute **(prepared from the "oleoresin") are used frequently in chypre, moss, new mown hay, Oriental, and similar sweet or coumarinic bases. Its high content of coumarin and related compounds makes it an excellent fixative, but its intense color is a drawback in certain creations and uses. With synthetic musks, it produces very interesting, dry-perfumery powder-notes, particularly in combination with heliotropine, "gamma"-methyl ionone, cinnamic alcohol, etc. It blends well with oakmoss, labdanum, lavandin, olibanum, clove bud oil, amyl salicylate, patchouli, etc. In odor type, it is very similar to **Flouve**** **and **Melilotus**, both of which are prepared in Europe, the former also as an essential oil. As previous mentioned, there are several species of **Deertongue**, and they present various modifications of the coumarin-type of fragrance: from green-sharp herbaceous to intensely vanilla- sweet and candylike. The plant is very common in the southeastern U.S.A., where it is also known as **Prafrie**** ****Pine**** **or **Blazing**** ****Star**, these names referring to the shape and the flowers of the fair-sized composite plant. Although it is not a very expensive perfume material, **Liatris**** ****Oleoresin**** **is used in comparatively small quantities, and the annual production hardly amounts to more than a few metric tons. The designation "oleoresin" is stubbornly applied to the commercial product although it contains no volatile oil and very little resinous matter. According to the definitions in this work, it is a *concrète *(which happens to be a pourable, viscous liquid).