Spikenard Oil

#### Spikenard Oil. Also known as "false" **Indian**** ****Valerian**** ****Root**** ****Oil.**** **It should not be confused with the essential oil of various Ferula Species, an oil which is known under the name of **Sumbul Root Oil **(see monograph). See also **Valeriana Wallichii Oil.** **Spikenard Oil **is derived from the roots of **Nardostachys Jatamansi, **a plant of the Valerianaceae. The plant grows wild and is occasionally cultivated in India (northern mountain regions), China and Japan (also Formosa). The dried, comminuted root (rhizome and root) is steam distilled in India or in Europe or the U.S.A. Unfortunately, there are a number of **Nardostachys **species and also other plants, not only to the valerian family but also to quite different families which yield roots, sold commercially as "Indian valerian root". Consequently, there are different opinions on the odor and flavor of **Spikenard Oil. **As a general description it can be said that the oil is a pale yellow to amber colored liquid with a heavy, sweet-woody and spicy-animal odor, reminiscent of valerian, ginger, cardamom and Atlas cedarwood oils. The flavor is warm-spicy, root-like in sweetness, somewhat pine-wood-like and slightly bitter-burning, powerful. **Spikenard**** ****Oil**** **is not regularly produced outside India and Japan, but when the oil is available, it can be used with advantage in perfumes such as Oriental bases, heavy florals, fougères, woody bases, animal-ambre types, etc. It blends well with amyl salicylate, cedarwood oil and its derivatives, coumarin, ionones, labdanum products, lavender, oakmoss products, patchouli oil, pine needle oils, vetiver oil, etc. In flavors, it can be used as a modifier for valerian, hop, ginger, calamus, cardamom, etc., and its warm and rich body will help rounding off the sharp notes from chemical additives in the flavor composition. The oil has been used as a substitute for **Valerian**** ****Oil**** **(see monograph), but the reverse case has also occurred since **Spikenard**** ****Oil**** **is now a scarce oil. Adulteration takes place frequently with additives such as borneol, patchouli oil, isobornyl valerianate, terpinyl valerianate, terpineol, eugenol, cajuput oil, etc.