N. 0. GRAMINE^ 79
dride. It therefore appears to be a primary alcohol. Vetivenol (tricyclic)
yields an acetate, boiling-point 180° to 184° (19 mm.); d 200 1*0218 ; ao +
28° 48'; NN 1-50433; molecular refraction 75-91. Fraction (C), upon
saponification, yielded an oil from which, under repeated distillation,
there was obtained a portion boiling between 178° and 185° (19 mm.) :
d20o 1-0137; aD + 52° 12'; nD + 1-52822; molecular refraction 66-81.
This body, therefore, represents a mixture of bi- and tricyclic vetivenol.
The acid of fraction (C) was identical with vetivenic acid. The frac-
tions (A) and (B) also contained a primary bicyclic vetivenol, which may
possibly be ident cal with that from fraction (C). These portions also
contained tricyclic vetivenol.
Repeated fractionation in vacuo of fraction (A), the last fractionation
being conducted over sodium, yielded two hydrocarbons :—
I. Boiling-point 123° to 130° (16 mm.); d2QO 0*9355; aD + 2° 16';
nn 1
*
51126 ; molecular refraction 65'32.
II. Boiling-point 137° to 140° (16 mm.); d2QO 0'9321; aD - 10° 12' ;
«D 1*51896 ; molecular refraction 66*42.
The characteristic ester of the European distilled oil is absent from,
or only present in very small amount in, Reunion distilled oil, which is
very low in ester-content.
It has been suggested that vetivert oils with high specific gravities
are superior in odour value to the Reunion oil. This, however, is cer-
tainly not the case when money value is taken into account, these latter
being quite disproportionate from the odour values, which do not differ
very materially.PALMAROSA AND GINGEK-GKASS OILS.These oils are distilled in India from the grass Cymbopogon Martini
(Andropogon Schoenanthus Linn.). There are two forms of this grass,
known in India as " Motia " and " Sofia," but their botanical differences
are not yet established.
The " Motia " grass yields the important commercial oil, palmarosa
oil, whflst the " Sofia " grass yields the less valuable and quite different
ginger-grass oil.
The common name in India for this grass is Rosha or Rusa grass
and as for many years the oil found its way into Europe via Constanti-
nople, it was called—and still is to some extent—Turkish geranium oil,
as it is an oil rich in geraniol and having an odour something like that
of geranium oil.
The plant has a wide distribution, being generally found in the drier,
hot localities of India. Watt in his Commercial Products of India
states that there are specimens in the Kew Herbarium from Kashmir,
Punjab Hills, Simla, Alrnora, Garhwal, Singhbhum, the Central Pro-
vinces, Bombay, Rajputana, and Southern India. From a commercial
point of view the more important areas in which Rosha grass is worked
for the oil are the Bombay Presidency, the Central Provinces, and the
Berars and certain native States in Central India.
According to Haines it is found growing from Singhbhum to the
Santal Parganas in valleys near water-courses and on the northern or
shady sides of hills. Blunt states that in the Berars the " Motia"
variety prevails in open forests and the less valuable "Sofia" in dense