UMBELLIFEB^J 325
169° C.; it has the specific gravity 0-8416 at 14° C.; aD + 35-70;
no 1-4862. It polymerises to a white amorphous mass, melting-point
90° C. Dextro /J-phellandrene is also present.
Francesconi and Sernagiotto
l
have investigated the alcohol bupleurol,
which they isolated recently from the oil. It is best isolated from the
high boiling fractions of the oil by means of phthalic anhydride. It has
the composition C 10 H 20 O, and boils at 209° to 210°, and has a specific
gravity 0-8490, refractive index 1-4508, and is optically inactive. It has
a slight but distinct odour of roses. From its general character it is
probably an aliphatic compound. It forms an oily dibromide, and a
crystalline urethane, which forms lustrous needles melting at 45°. On
oxidation with chromic acid it yields (1) an aldehyde yielding a semi-
carbazone melting at 135°; (2) an aldehyde yielding a semi-carbazone
melting at 97°; (3) a ketone boiling at 217°; and having a refractive
index 1-4419 at 25° ; this ketone yields a semi-carbazone melting at 189°
to 190°; (4) a red oil which boils at 207°, and was found to be the ester
of bupleurol and its corresponding acid, which is formed during the
oxidation process. Bupleurol is isomeric with citronellol and with
androl. Its formula is probably OH. (CH^CH^. C(CH 2 ). CH 2.
CH 2. OH, which would make it a dihydro derivative of the alcohol
nerol. A body, probably an aldehyde, was also isolated at the same
time as bupleurol. This body has the formula C 10 H 16 O, and has the
following characters: Specific gravity 0*9264; specific rotation + 14-93°;
and refractive index 1-4909.
OIL OF SESELI BOCCONI.This oil, distilled from Seseli Bocconi (Crithmum siculum) to the
extent of about 0*3 per cent, has a specific gravity of about 0*855.
According to Francesconi and Sernagiotto,^2 the essential oil contains,
in addition to laevo-pinene and fota-phellandrene, a di-cyclic aldehyde,
another carbonyl compound accompanying the aldehyde, a di-cyclic
primary alcohol, an unsaturated secondary alcohol, and formic, acetic,
and methyl-butyric acids. The primary alcohol yields, on oxidation
with potassium bichromate and sulphuric acid, an aldehyde apparently
having the formula C 10 H 16 O, and being identical with the aldehyde
naturally occuring in the oil. It yields a semi-carbazone melting at
148° to 158°. The primary alcohol has the formula C 10 H 18 O.OIL OF SEA FENNEL.Crithmum maritinum is a plant growing freely on the French coast.
According to Borde
3
the stems and leaves on the one hand, and the
seeds on the other, yield essential oils, the former to the extent of up
to 0'3 per cent., and the latter to 0*8 per cent. The two oils have the
following characters:—
Stems and Leaves. Seeds.
Specific gravity at 4°. 1-0374 to 1-0492 0-9661 to 0'9809
Optical rotation.. + 6° 42' „ + 8° 15' + 5° 27' „ + 8° 9'
Saponification value. 6-4 4 „ 10
The seed oil contains about 12 to 18 per cent, of d-pinene, 40 to'i«. E. Accad. Lincei (1913), 22, 34.
a
Ibid. (1913), 116.
3
Bull. Soc. Pharm., 16,132, 395.