Patchouli slice Pogostemon patchouli
LATIN NAME: Pogostemon cablin
COMMON NAME: Patchouli
Patchouli is the warm, richly scented herb of the tropical gardens, and its soft, velvety, dark-green leaves carry the deep, musky, lasting scent that has made it a favourite of the perfumers for a very long time. The bushy, upright plant carries the broad, softly downy leaves with the scalloped edges, and the small, pale, two-lipped flowers open in the spikes through the warm season. The dried leaves are the heart of the plant, and their deep, lasting scent is one of the great notes of the perfume trade. It is a fine, generous herb of the warm, humid, sheltered garden.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
Patchouli has a steady and growing place in the plant science, and the volatile oils of the leaves have been studied for a long time for their deep, lasting scent. The chemistry of the aromatic leaves, which have a very long record of use in the perfumery and the traditional practice of the warm world, has been looked into, and the plant keeps showing up in the work on the aromatic plants and the essential-oil crops. The soft, velvety leaves and the bushy habit have also made it a fine garden plant, and it is a regular subject of the studies of the tropical scent plants and the perfume herbs.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Patchouli is grown for the richly scented leaves. The soft, dark-green leaves carry the deep, musky, lasting scent, and the dried leaves have been used in the perfumes, the soaps, the incense and the scenting of the cloth for a very long time. The plant has a long record of use in the warm world, and the scent is one of the great, familiar notes of the perfume trade. In the garden the bushy, velvety-leaved plant makes a fine, handsome addition to the warm, sheltered border and the pot. It has been written up in the perfumery and the botanical papers for its deep, lasting scent, and it is a fine, generous herb of the warm, humid garden.
The patchouli has been one of the great scent plants of the warm world for a very long time, and the deep, musky fragrance of the dried leaves was long used to guard the cloth and the shawls of the trade against the moths. The scent only deepens as the leaves dry and age, which is why it has kept its place in the perfumery. The soft, velvety leaves give the plant a fine, handsome look in the warm border and the pot.
To grow the patchouli from seed, scatter the fine seeds thinly over moist, free-draining soil in the trays and cover them very lightly, keep them in a warm, humid, sheltered spot and water gently. The seedlings push through in good time and grow on into bushy young plants. In a warm, humid, sheltered spot with the rich soil and the light shade of the hottest part of the day, the soft, dark-green, richly scented leaves will be there to pick.
Cosmetic Uses
The uses to which patchouli essential oil is used for is an extensive range of products that we all use every day. It includes cosmetics, perfumes of all kinds, incense, toiletries, soaps (with soaps being a major consumer of this oil), breath refreshers, etc. , especially in the East . India's pan and tobacco chewing industry consume a massive 40 metric tons of patchouli each year alone.Dried leaves are used for scenting wardrobes.
Patchouli is also extensively used in the food industry, in alcoholic and soft drinks.
When used in Massage and Bath Oil Blends, Patchouli reduces anxiety and depression and produces a warming and sensual feeling.
Medicinal Uses
In China, Japan and Malaysia the herb is used to treat colds, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and halitosis. The Chinese, Japanese and Arabs believe it to possess prophylactic properties. An infusion of fresh leaves is given to relieve menstrual troubles.
Patchouli yields an excellent result on blending with sandalwood oil.
It also blends well with labdanum, vetiver, cedar wood, oak moss, rose, orange blossom, bergamot, cassia, myrrh, opopanax, clary sage and oriental-type bases.