Nyctanthes Arbortristis Oil

#### Nyctanthes Arbortristis. Known and used for many decades, perhaps hundreds of years, is the medium-sized East Indian and south Chinese shrub, **Nyctanthes**** ****Arbortristis**. Its white flowers are known in India under the name of Parijata flowers, and they have been used since long in the flavoring of tea in the Far East. Recently, the Forest Research Institute at Dehra Dun, India, became interested in a further exploitation of these fragrant flowers. Their perfume is somewhat similar to that of orange flowers and jasmin. An essential oil is water-distilled (compare neroli and ylang-ylang) from the large white or creamy-white flowers which open only by night and wither the following day. The receptacle next to the still should contain benzene or petroleum ether in order to prevent loss of the very small yield of oil which is partly water-soluble. A direct extraction of the flowers yield a concrète, but the yield in this operation is equally poor. Oil of **Nyctanthes**** ****Arbortristis **is a pale yellow to orange-yellow colored liquid of fresh and strong gardenia jasmin type odor. **Absolute**** ****of**** ****Nyctanthes**** ****Arbortristis**** **is a dark orange to brownish-colored, viscous liquid of intensely floral odor of jasmine-orange flower type, somewhat indolic and sharper than the odor of orange flower. Oil or absolute of nyctanthes arbortristis are produced on a very limited scale only and they are not regularly available. But since the flower is a commercial article and is regularly harvested from the cultivated shrub, a production of these perfume oils is actually possible. The so-called "attars" of nyctanthes arbortristis are produced in India by co-distillation of the flowers with sandalwood oil, or by extraction of the flowers with fixed oils. The author has only little experience with the use of these materials in perfumery.