Oils and Fats. 4{ 



Reference : Letter dated October 13, 

 1908, from Mr. J. F. Jowitt, of Bandara- 

 wela, Ceylon, 



No. 13. 



Quantity : 420 cc. ; distilled June 17, 

 1907 



Description : Very dark-coloured oil 

 with a characteristic pleasant lemougrass 

 odour. 



Results of Examination, 

 Specific gravity at 15715° C = 0'892. 

 Optical rotation in 100 mm. tube at 

 20" C = — 0° 25'. 



Citral, by sodium bi-sulphite me- 

 thod = 75*0 per cent. 



Solubility in alcohol : not soluble to a 

 clear solution even in 10 volumes of 70, 80, 

 or 90 per cent, alcohol. 



Remarks. — The grass yielding this oil 

 was identified by Dr. Stapf as Cymbo- 

 pogon citratus, and the characters of the 

 oil agree with this identification. The 

 oil is a typical lemougrass oil of the 

 "insoluble" class. The yield of oil 

 obtained in this distillation was 0'22 per 

 cent. 



No. 13a. 



Quantity : 190 cc. ; distilled October 

 14, 1907. 



Description : Yellow oil, with a pleas- 

 ant odour. This sample was rather light- 

 coloured for a lemongrass oil. A slight 

 deposit was present in the bottle con- 

 taining the oil. 



Results of Examination. 



Specific gravity at 15715° O = 0'891. 



Optical rotation in 100 mm. tube at 

 20 5° C = — 0° 39'. 



Citral, by sodium bi-sulphite method 

 = 74'0 per cent. 



Solubility in alcohol : not soluble to 

 a clear solution even in 10 volumes of 70, 

 80, or 90 per cent, alcohol. 



Remarks — See remarks regarding No. 

 13, which also apply in this case. The 

 yield of oil obtained in this distillation 

 was 0*25 per cent. 



No. 13*. 



Quantity : 603 cc. ; distilled August 

 5, 1908. 



Description ; Clear, deep yellow oil, 

 with a good lemongrass odour, rather 

 more intense than in the cass of Nos. 

 13 and 13a. 



Results of Examination. 



Specific gravity at 15°/15 Q C= 0*893. 



Optical ^rotation in 100 mm. tube at 

 20° C = + 1? 7'. 



! I December, 1910. 



Citral, by sodium bi-sulphite method 



= 76'0 per cent- 

 Solubility in alcohol : not soluble to a 



clear solution even in 10 volumes of 70, 



SO, or 90 per cent, alcohol. 

 Remarks.— See remarks regarding No. 



13, which also apply in this case. The 



yield of oil obtained in this distillation 



0*37 per cent. 



Results op the Examination of 

 Supposed Cymbopogon Flexuosus 



Oil prom Ceylon. 

 Imperial Institute, No. 26,033, dated 

 July 23, 1910. 



Reference : Letter dated October 13, 

 1908, from Mr. J. F. Jowitt, of Bandara- 

 wela, Ceylon. 



No. 19. 



Quantity : 79 cc. ; distilled August 8, 

 1907. 



Description : Golden yellow oil, with a 

 somewhat pungent odour resembling 

 that of citronella. A slight deposit was 

 present. 



Results of Examination. 

 Specific gravity at 15°/15° C = 0-917. 

 Optical rotation in 100 mm. tube at 



20° C = — 7° 29'. 



"Total alcohols " (including geraniol)= 

 57 "8 per cent. 



Geraniol= 13"9 per cent. 



Aldehydes (citral), by sodium bi-sul- 

 phite method = 35-0 per cent. 



Solubility in alcohol : gives a clear 

 solution with its own volume of 80 per 

 cent, alcohol, and becomes slightly 

 turbid with 10 volumes of the alcohol. 

 Insoluble even in 10 volumes of 70 per 

 cent, alcohol. 



Remarks.— The grass yielding this oil 

 was supplied to Mr, Jowitt as that used 

 for the distillation of lemongrass oil in 

 Palghat, Southern India, and Mr. Jowitt 

 regarded it as Cymbopogon flexuosus. 

 The herbarium specimen supplied to the 

 Imperial Institute was identified by Dr. 

 Stapf as Cymbopogon Nardus, Rendle, 

 var. confertiflorus, Stapf. This sample 

 of oil behaves like a mixture of citronella 

 and lemongrass oils, and has probably 

 been distilled from a mixture of grasses 

 (see also No. 19*). The yield of oil ob- 

 tained iu this distillation was 0"34 

 per cent. 



No. 19\ 



Quantity : 128 cc. ; distilled August 

 1, 1908. 



Description : Yellow oil, with a lemon- 

 grass odour, which, however, differed 

 slightly from that of Nos. 13, 13a, 

 and 13*. 



