Essential Oils

Plant Expression

Idential Molecules Convey Different Messages:

Eucalyptus and Ravintsara

Different plant species can apparently package very different physiological messages by a least partially using identical components. A good example of this is provided by Eucalyptus radiata and Cinnamomum camphora (Ravintsara).

Chemical analysis reveals both essential oils to be cineole-rich compositions with a preponderance of standard terpene hydrocarbons and terpene alcohols. Nonetheless, everyone working with these oils knows their distinctly different properties.

One example is the tonifying effect Ravintsara has on the nervous system, which is not observed in the Eucalyptus radiata. This difference is not obvious from the chemical composition of both oils. 

The Cinnamomum camphora tree is native to Taiwan, southern japan, southeast China, and Indochina. It is a chemical chameleon from which different essential oils are derived. 

The oil called Ravintsara represents a cineole type. Ho is the vernacular name for its linalool type produced in Vietnam. Additionally, botanists distinguish a nerolidol, a safrole, and a borneol type. The name-giving substance, camphor, was historically derived by distilling the wood. 

Reference: The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oil: Kurt Schnaubelt, Ph.D.