Fir Needle Oil

#### "Fir" Needle Oil. Before entering on a brief discussion of the various "fir" and pine needle oils, it may be practical to give a brief summary of the oils which generally are offered under one or the other label: - **Siberian Fir Needle Oil**, in the United States called Siberian **Pine **needle oil is derived from the leaves (needles) of a true fir, **Abies**** ****Sibirica**, see monograph on **Fir**** ****Needle**** ****Oil**, **Siberian **following this monograph. - **Japanese Fir Needle Oil**, also called pine needle oil, is derived from the leaves and twigs of **Abies**** ****Mayriana**** **and **Abies**** ****Sachalinensis**, see monograph: **Abies**** **sp. in this book. - **Silver**** ****Fir Needle Oil**, is derived from the leaves and twigs of the European **Abies Alba**, known in Germany and Austria as "Edeltanne" and "Weisstanne". See monograph on **Abies**** ****Alba**** **under which also the oils of **Abies**** ****Excelsa,**** ****Abies**** ****Picea**** **and **Abies**** ****Pectinata**** **are mentioned. - **Balsam**** ****Fir**** ****Needle**** ****Oil**** **is derived from the leaves and twigs of the Canadian and northeast American "balsam fir", **Abies Balsamea**, (see monograph). - **Scandinavian**** ****Fir**** ****Needle**** ****Oil**** **is best known as oil of **Pinus**** ****Sylvestris**** **(see monograph). Botanically, it is truly a Pine Needle Oil. See also 10). - **Picea**** ****Excelsa**—see monograph under this heading. - **Spruce**** ****Oils**—see **Spruce**** **(including **Tsuga**** ****Canadensis**** **and other species distilled with it to yield **Spruce Oil**). - **Canadian**** **or **White**** ****Pine**, see **Pinus**** ****Strobus**** **(monograph). See also Pinus **-**** ****-**** ****-**** **oils. Oils that are steam distilled from leaves and twigs of various **Abies-,**** ****Larix-,**** ****Picea-,**** **and **Pinus**** **species are sold under the name of **Fir Needle Oil **(translated from various European languages). - **Canadian Black Pine **is a spruce, **Picea Nigra **which yields a needle oil of up to 50% bornyl acetate, the highest of all pine needle oils. This oil is not produced commercially but the tree is lumbered, and there is a huge amount of leaves and twigs available for distillation in case of any interest in this oil. - **Dwarf**** ****Pine**** ****Needle**** ****Oil**, which is steam distilled from the needles of **Pinus**** ****Pumilio**** **(see monograph). This tree is also known as **Pinus Montana**, and, in Yugoslavia, the dwarf pine needle oil is marketed as **Pinus Montana Oil.**