Cypriol EO

Latin name :

Cyperus scariosus

Botanical profile :

Cypriol is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Cyperaceae family, and to the genus Cyperus, as Papyrus EO.

Geographic origin :

Native to indian region of Madhya Pradesh, Cypriol is still cultivated there in majority.

Chemotypes :

The genus Cyperus contains more than 700 spieces. Cypriol is the only massively cultivated plant of this genus for perfumery. Cyperus rotundus also is to be distinguished, because it is cultivated for its use in aromatherapy, also in India. These two plants belong to the same genus as papyrus (Cyperus papyrus), used during antique times for paper production.

Extraction process :

Cypriol is a plant of very variable height, ranging from 5 cm to 5 metres high. It is cultivated in India between April and June. The plant is cultivated in its wild state, controlling its growth (as for Mimosa Absolute), by the tribes living near the riverbeds of the region.
Although Cypriol is a leafy plant (thin, long leaves), it is its rhizome that is extracted by steam distillation. The plant's root system is very dense, making it interesting for extraction. Cypriol cultivation is then comparable to that of vetiver (Vetiver Java EO, Vetiver Haiti EO). The leaves are grouped together before uprooting the plant. The roots are shaken by hand to remove some of the soil, then transported to the essential oil production plant. There they are washed and dried in the sun, removing all the remaining soil and developing the aromatic potential of the root.
Extraction is done using pressurized steam, taking the aromatic molecules from the plant to the top of the distillation column. Refrigeration of the vapours liquefies them and allows the essential oil to be recovered in a Florentine flask, by settling over the water used for distillation.
As the essential oil is orange to brown, it can be rectified to remove the colour. It can also be used to remove natural Cyperene, Rotundone or Rotundene.

Major Components :

Isopatchoul-4(5)-en-3-one (≈15%)
Cyperene (≈15%)
Patchoulenone (≈8%)
Rotundene (≈5%)
Rotundone (≈5%)
Patchoulanol (≈2%)