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Botanical Name: Rosmarinus officinalis L. Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae). Synonyms: Rosmarinus coronarium ; compass plant; incensient. Origin: Native to the Mediterranean regions. Now cultivated worldwide in Spain, Portugal, Russia, China, Yugoslavia, Tunisia, Morocco, Italy, USA. Major oil producing countries are Spain, Tunisia, Morocco, France. Botanical Description: A dense, aromatic, evergreen shrub up to 2-meter (6.6 ft.) high. Has branched, narrow leaves that are bright green above, with rolled in margins and densely hairy below. Flowers are small, pale purple or bluish. Oil Extraction: Essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the fresh flowering tops. The oil is clear, colorless to pale yellow mobile liquid. Yield 0.5 to 2.5%. Two oils are sold commercially- Rosemary (Spain) and Rosemary (Tunisia and Morocco). They differ in oil composition. Rosemary-verbenone is another chemotype. Aroma Profile: The top note is fresh, short-lived. The body note is woody-herbaceous, minty-forest-like, balsamic camphoraceous. The dry-out is less tenacious, camphoraceous. Major Constituents: Rosemary (Spain) 1,8-cineole (15 to 25%), camphor (13 to 18.5%), α-pinene (18 to 26%), camphene (8 to 12%), β-pinene, myrcene, limonene, bornyl acetate, borneol, verbenone. Rosemary (Tunisia, Morocco) 1,8-cineole (38 to 55%), camphor (5 to 15%), α-pinene (9 to 14%), camphene (2.5 to 6%), β-pinene (4 to 9%), bornyl acetate, borneol, verbenone, linalool. Adulterants: White camphor oil, fractions of eucalyptus oils, Spanish sage oil. Regulatory Status: GRAS 182.20. Aromatherapy: Clarifying, invigorating, warming. Blends well with: Cedarwood, lavender, thyme, oregano, pine, marjoram, basil, peppermint, petitgrain, cinnamon, clove, lavandin. Safety Data: Non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing. Avoid during pregnancy, if epileptic or with high blood pressure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Want to learn more? Take our Online Aromatherapy Course.
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