abstracts: bio-chemistry 23 



BIO-CHEMISTRY. — Wild volatile-oil pla72ts ayul their economic impor- 

 tance. I. Black sage, II. Wild sage, III. Swamp hay. Frank Rabak. 

 Bulletin 235, Bureau of Plant Industry, pp. 37, with 6 %s. 1912. 



In the general part of this bulletin are described the distribution of 

 wild aromatic plants in the United States. The present production of 

 volatile oils obtained from wild plants native to the United States is 

 discussed in detail. A classification of volatile oils based on their odors 

 and constituents is suggested. Attention is called to the commercial 

 importance of volatile oils. The plant sources and the commercial use 

 of the important substances, camphor, borneol and cineol are thoroly 

 discussed. 



The special part of this bulletin consists of the investigation of the 

 volatile oils of black sage, wild sage, and swamp bay. 



The oil of the black sage (Ramona stachyoides (Benth) Briquet.) was 

 found upon examination to consist essentially of camphor (more than 40 

 per cent) and cineol (22.5 per cent) wdth smaller quantities of an alcohol, 

 probably borneol, both free and as an ester, thujone, traces of pinene and 

 terpinene, and traces of combined acetic and formic acids. The con- 

 stituents of possible commercial importance in the oil are camphor and 

 borneol. 



Analysis of the oil of wild sage {Artemisia frigida Willd.) showed the 

 presence (1) of borneol, 43 per cent, of which about 6.8 per cent exists as 

 bornyl heptoate, leaving 35.8 per cent of free borneol; (2) of cineol 

 (eucalyptol) 18 to 20 per cent; (3) of fenchone 8 to 10 per cent; (4) of 

 free acids, chiefly oenanthylic or heptoic acid, 0.58 per cent, with traces 

 of formic and caprylic acids; (5) of combined acids in the form of esters, 

 chiefly oenanthylic acid, with smaller quantities of valerianic, undecylic 

 and formic acids. The chief constituents of commercial importance are 

 borneol and cineol. 



The oil of swamp bay (Persea puhescens, (Pursh.) Sarg.) was found to 

 consist chiefly of 21 per cent of camphor, 19.8 per cent of cineol, and 

 borneol, the latter occurring to small extent as esters and as free alcohol. 

 Small quantities of butyric acid and esters of butyric, valerianic and 

 heptoic acids were also present. ^ 



The plants which yield the above oils are found in widely separated 

 regions of the United States, in California, South Dakota, and Florida, 

 respectively. 



The large quantities of camphor in the oils of black sage and swamp 

 bay are new sources of this important substance. Likewise the large 

 percentage of borneol in the oil of wild sage opens new possibilities. 



F. R. 



