Sumbul Root Oil

#### Sumbul Root Oil. See also **Spikenard**** ****Oil**** **and **Valerian**** ****Oil**, Indian. Various species of a plant of the Umbellifer family, and native of the mountainous regions in Iran, India, southeastern U.S.S.R. and Afghanistan, are known for their fragrant roots, the **Sumbul**** **roots. The best known of these plants is **Ferula**** ****Sumbul**** **which probably is the original, so-called **Musk Root**. Other species have roots of different odor type. The fact that the root from **Ferula**** ****Sumbul**** **is difficult to obtain in a state free form admixture of roots of other **Ferula**** **species, is partly responsible for the lack of interest in this material. **Sumbul**** ****Root**** **is steam distilled in Europe and occasionally in the U.S.A., rarely in India, to yield **Sumbul Root Oil**. The constituents of the oil are, however, very high boiling, and a prolonged distillation or an increased steam pressure may seriously affect the olfactory quality of the oil. A so-called oleo-resin or, according to the definitions in Part One of this work, a concrète extract of sumbul root is occasionally prepared by certain European perfume houses, see **Sumbul Root Resinoid **(next monograph). Sumbul root oil is a very viscous, dark amber to brownish liquid with a warm-woody, orris-like and very faintly musky ("animal") type of odor, remotely reminiscent of valerian, de-sulphurized asafoetida, costus and elecampane. There is a certain balsamic sweetness in the dryout, but the most outstanding virtue of the oil is the fixative effect. In chypre, Oriental bases, musk bases, "precious wood" notes, etc., the oil of **Sumbul Root **may find some application. The poor availability, as pointed out above, almost prohibits the use of this oil. Due to the irregular appearance on the market, **Sumbul**** ****Root**** ****Oil**** **is frequently adulterated, and without previous solid knowledge of a genuine oil, an evaluation of this rare oil is quite a difficult task.