Cypriol Essential Oil

Cyperus scariosus is a small grass-like herb with angular soft stem  and  underground  rhizomatous  tubers.  The  plant  is  a glabrous  herb.  Stolons  are  slender,  0.8-5.0cm  by  0.25cm, clothed  by  elliptic,  acute,  lax  striate  concolorous  scales 1/8inch long, stem 40-90cm  long, slender,  triquetrous at top 1/24-1/16inch in diameter, leaves are  variable,  usually  short (less than  1/3  stem), narrow,  weak,  and  umbels  are slender, contracted,  rays  slender  sometimes  up  to  3inch  long,  and bracts  are  nearly  always  as  the  leaves  i.e.  hardly  any  when leaves  short,  exceeding  inflorescence  when  leaves  longish, and  spikelets  are  linear  pale  straw-colour  (Figure  I)  and rhizome  are  very  short,  woody,  stolons,  lateral  shoots  from base  of  stem  immediately  ascending,  glumes  scarcely imbricate  in  fruit.  The  rhizome  of  this  plant  contains  an amber or light brown viscous essential oil. Cyperus, also known as Nagarmotha in Hindi, belongs to the family of Cyperaceae. Cypriol Oil is obtained by the steam distillation of dried roots of Cyperus scariosus. The oil is a mildly viscous liquid, with a dark brownish to brownish red colour. Its odour is woody and deep, with smoky notes of leather. Cyprene is its major component. The oil is mainly used in perfumery formulations.