Pelargonium graveolens

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Pelargonium graveolens
Rose Geranium.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Geraniales
Family: Geraniaceae
Genus: Pelargonium
Species:
P. graveolens
Binomial name
Pelargonium graveolens

Pelargonium graveolens is a Pelargonium species native to the Cape Provinces and the Northern Provinces of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. [1]

Etymology

Pelargonium comes from the Greek πελαργός pelargos which means stork. Another name for pelargoniums is stork's-bills due to the shape of their fruit. [2] [3] The specific epithet graveolens refers to the strong-smelling leaves. [4]

Description

Pelargonium graveolens is an erect, multi-branched shrub, that grows up to 1.5 m and has a spread of 1 m. The leaves are deeply incised, velvety and soft to the touch (due to glandular hairs). The flowers vary from pale pink to almost white and the plant flowers from August to January. The leaves may be strongly rose-scented, although the leaf shape and scent vary. Some plants are very strongly scented and others have little or no scent. Some leaves are deeply incised and others less so, [5] being slightly lobed like P. capitatum .

Common names and synonyms

Common names include rose geranium, [1] [6] sweet scented geranium, [7] old fashion rose geranium, [6] and rose-scent geranium. [1]

Pelargonium graveolens is also known by taxonomic synonyms Geranium terebinthinaceumCav. and Pelargonium terebinthinaceum(Cav.) Desf. [1] "Rose geranium" is sometimes used to refer to Pelargonium incrassatum(Andrews) Sims or its synonym Pelargonium roseum(Andrews) DC. – the herbal name. [8] Commercial vendors often list the source of geranium or rose geranium essential oil as Pelargonium graveolens, regardless of its botanical name.

Cultivars and hybrids

Many plants are cultivated under the species name "Pelargonium graveolens" but differ from wild specimens as they are of hybrid origin [1] (probably a cross between P. graveolens, P. capitatum and/or P. radens ). There are many cultivars and they have a wide variety of scents, including rose, citrus, mint and cinnamon as well as various fruits. [9] Cultivars and hybrids include:

Others known; Camphor Rose, Capri, Granelous and Little Gem. [17]

Uses

Both the true species and the cultivated plant may be called rose geranium [26] – pelargoniums are often called geraniums, as they fall within the plant family Geraniaceae, and were previously classified in the same genus. The common P. 'Graveolens' or P. 'Rosat' has great importance in the perfume industry. It is cultivated on a large scale and its foliage is distilled for its scent. Pelargonium distillates and absolutes, commonly known as "geranium oil", are sold for aromatherapy and massage therapy applications. [27] They are also sometimes used to supplement or adulterate more expensive rose oils. As a flavoring, the flowers and leaves are used in cakes, jams, jellies, ice creams, sorbets, salads, sugars, [28] and teas. In addition, it is used as a flavoring agent in some pipe tobaccos, being one of the characteristic "Lakeland scents."

Rose geranium, known as Mâatercha or Ätarcha [29] in Morocco, is used as a flavorful herb to complement spearmint tea. It is often added alongside spearmint or other minty herbs to enhance the overall flavor profile of the tea, adding a floral and aromatic note to the brew.

In Cyprus, where it is known as kiouli, it is used to flavour and scent the sugar syrup in apricot preserves, known as glyko tou koutaliou hrisomilo.[ citation needed ]

Chemical constituents of geranium oil

Geranium (Pelargonium 'Graveolens') essential oil in a clear glass vial GeraniumEssOil.png
Geranium (Pelargonium 'Graveolens') essential oil in a clear glass vial

A modern analysis listed the presence of over 50 organic compounds in the essential oil of P. graveolens from an Australian source. [30] Analyses of Indian geranium oils indicated a similar phytochemical profile, [31] and showed that the major constituents (in terms of % composition) were citronellol + nerol and geraniol. [32] [33]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose</span> Genus of plants

A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae, or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be erect shrubs, climbing, or trailing, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Their flowers vary in size and shape and are usually large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows and reds. Most species are native to Asia, with smaller numbers native to Europe, North America, and northwestern Africa. Species, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and often are fragrant. Roses have acquired cultural significance in many societies. Rose plants range in size from compact, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach seven meters in height. Different species hybridize easily, and this has been used in the development of the wide range of garden roses.

<i>Geranium</i> Genus of flowering plants

Geranium is a genus of 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, with the greatest diversity in the eastern part of the Mediterranean region.

<i>Pelargonium</i> Genus of plants

Pelargonium is a genus of flowering plants that includes about 280 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly called geraniums, pelargoniums, or storksbills. Geranium is also the botanical name and common name of a separate genus of related plants, also known as cranesbills. Both genera belong to the family Geraniaceae. Carl Linnaeus originally included all the species in one genus, Geranium, and they were later separated into two genera by Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle in 1789.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basil</span> Important culinary herb

Basil, also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also known as sweet basil or Genovese basil. Basil is native to tropical regions from Central Africa to Southeast Asia. In temperate climates basil is treated as an annual plant, however, basil can be grown as a short-lived perennial or biennial in warmer horticultural zones with tropical or Mediterranean climates.

<i>Mentha aquatica</i> Species of flowering plant

Mentha aquatica is a perennial flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It grows in moist places and is native to much of Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potpourri</span> Mixture of dried flowers and other naturally fragrant plant material

Potpourri is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant materials used to provide a gentle natural scent, commonly in residential settings. It is often placed in a decorative bowl.

<i>Pelargonium radens</i> Species of flowering plant

Pelargonium radens, the rasp-leaf pelargonium is a species of Pelargonium. It is in the subgenus Pelargonium along with Pelargonium crispum and Pelargonium tomentosum.

<i>Pelargonium</i> citrosum Flowering plant cultivar

Pelargonium 'citrosum' is a perennial subshrub with fragrant leaves that are reminiscent of citronella.

<i>Geranium macrorrhizum</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium macrorrhizum is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the genus Geranium, family Geraniaceae. It is native to the South east Alps and the Balkans. Its common names include bigroot geranium, Bulgarian geranium, and rock crane's-bill.

Geranium is a genus of 422 hardy flowering plant species.

<i>Pelargonium quercifolium</i> Species of flowering plant

Pelargonium quercifolium is a species of geranium known by the common name oakleaf geranium or oak-geranium. It is native to South Africa, and it is a commonly grown ornamental plant. It is in the subgenus pelargonium along with Pelargonium crispum and Pelargonium tomentosum.

<i>Pelargonium capitatum</i> Species of plant

Pelargonium capitatum is one of several species known as rose geranium or rose-scented pelargonium in English. The popular names refer to the scent of the essential oils extracted from glandular tissue, not the flowers, which have hardly any scent to speak of. Some of the species are known as kusmalva in Afrikaans.

<i>Pelargonium <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> hortorum</i> Species of flowering plant

Pelargonium × hortorum, commonly called zonal geranium, or garden geranium, is a nothospecies of Pelargonium most commonly used as an ornamental plant. It is a hybrid between Pelargonium zonale and Pelargonium inquinans. They are the group of Pelargonium cultivars, with leaves marked with a brown annular zone and inflorescence in the form of large balls of tight flowers, usually red, pink, or white. These are the most common geraniums of garden centers and florists, sold in pots for windowsills and balconies or planted in flowerbeds.

<i>Pelargonium zonale</i> Species of flowering plant

Pelargonium zonale is a species of Pelargonium native to southern Africa in the western regions of the Cape Provinces, in the geranium family. It is one of the parents of the widely cultivated plant Pelargonium × hortorum, often called "geranium", "horseshoe geranium", "zonal geranium" or "zonal pelargonium".

<i>Pelargonium crispum</i> Species of flowering plant

Pelargonium crispum is a Pelargonium species native to the Western Cape Province, South Africa. It is in the subgenus Pelargonium along with Pelargonium graveolens and Pelargonium capitatum and Pelargonium tomentosum.

<i>Pelargonium tomentosum</i> Species of flowering plant

Pelargonium tomentosum, the peppermint-scented geranium, is a pelargonium species native to South Africa. It is in the subgenus Pelargonium along with Pelargonium graveolens, Pelargonium crispum and Pelargonium capitatum.

<i>Pelargonium odoratissimum</i> Species of flowering plant

Pelargonium odoratissimum is a pelargonium species native to South Africa. It is also known as the apple geranium or apple pelargonium due to the distinct apple scent. It is in the subgenus Reniforme along with Pelargonium sidoides and Pelargonium exstipulatum.

<i>Pelargonium <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> fragrans</i> Species of flowering plant

Pelargonium × fragrans is a pelargonium hybrid between Pelargonium odoratissimum and Pelargonium exstipulatum. It is in the subgenus Reniforme along with Pelargonium sidoides and Pelargonium abrotanifolium.

<i>Pelargonium exstipulatum</i> Species of flowering plant

Pelargonium exstipulatum is a pelargonium species native to South Africa. It is in the subgenus Reniforme along with Pelargonium odoratissimum and Pelargonium sidoides.

<i>Pelargonium cordifolium</i> Species of flowering plant

Pelargonium cordifolium is a plant endemic to the fynbos region of the Southern Cape of South Africa.

References

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