Xanthoxylum Alatum Oil

#### Xanthoxylum Alatum. Various species of **Xanthoxylum**** **are known in the tropics, and used for their spicy or pungent fruits. The plants belong to the family of Rutaceae. One of the species is **Xanthoxylum**** ****Alalum**** **which grows wild in Kaschmir (India) and produces a pepper- like fruit. This plant is known in the Far East as "**Chinese Wild Pepper**" or "**Tumru**". An essential oil can be obtained from the dried fruits by steam distillation. This essential oil is produced on a limited scale in the northwestern part of India (Himalaya). The plant is at hand in abundance, and the oil could be produced in ton- lots annually if sufficient interest were in evidence. The essential oil of the fruits of xanthoxylum alatum is a pale yellow to olive-yellow colored, mobile liquid of a warm-woody, green-peppery, spicy odor, reminiscent of cubeb, guaiacwood etc. with a faint resemblance to the odor of wild roses (rosa canina). The dryout is deep-floral and somewhat similar to the odor of cabreuva and araucaria oils. The tenacity of the fragrance makes the oil interesting as a fixative in woody-floral or aldehydic-woody, modern fragrances. It blends. excellently with "gamma"-methyl ionone (alpha- iso-methyl ionone), hydroxycitronellal, linalool, geranium oils, cinnamic alcohol, clove bud oil, etc. The comparatively good yield of oil by steam distillation, the abundance of wild growing botanical material and the fact, that distilleries are close at hand, are all in favor of a good future for this oil, in case it should be made available outside its country of origin. Its interesting odor characteristics and valuable perfume effects will no doubt arouse the interest of creative perfumers beyond the borders of India.