Gingergrass Materia Medica

Gingergrass essential oil, distilled from the aromatic and herbaceous grass Cymbopogon martini var. sofia — a close sibling species of palmarosa – Cymbopogon martini var. motia and a plant cousin of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus). The genus name Cymbopogon, a composite of the Latin words cymbo meaning boat and pogon meaning bearded refers to the form and configuration of the terminal flower cluster and its bract enclosure.

Gingergrass oil has been distilled (from the above ground parts of the plant) in India since the 18th century. It is commonly used as a perfume ingredient and in Ayurvedic medicine. Gingergrass oil is light golden yellow to amber in color and has a fresh, spicy, herbaceous, woody scent that features ginger and subtle rose notes. Its primary biochemical constituents include geraniol, trans-p-menthene-8-diol-1,2, cis- and transdihydrocarvone, cis- and trans-carveol, menthadienols limonene oxide and piperitenone. The grassy notes
perceived in the oil are due to the presence of perillyl (dihydro cuminyl) alcohol.

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