FAMILY: Oleaceae
SYNONYMS: Sweet osmanthus, sweet olive, tea olive, fragrant olive, silang, holly osmanthus, holly olive, kwai hwa.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: An evergreen shrub or small tree growing up to 12 metres tall, with broad leaves and bearing purple-black fruits containing a single hard-shelled seed. The small flowers, which appear in clusters late in the season, can be white, pale yellow, gold, orange or reddish in colour, with a strong sweet fragrance much like fresh apricots or peaches.
DISTRIBUTION: This plant is native to Asia from the Himalayas through southern China to Taiwan and southern Japan. It is the ‘city flower’ of the cities of Hangzhou, Suzhou and Guilin in China. Today it is cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens in Asia, Europe, North America, and elsewhere in the world, mainly for its deliciously fragrant flowers.
OTHER SPECIES: Osmanthus is a genus of about 30 species belonging to the olive family, which are mainly found growing in warm climates. While the flowers of O. fragrans range in colour from silver-white (O. fragrans Lour. var. latifolius) to gold-orange (O. fragrans Lour. var. thunbergii) to reddish (O. fragrans Lour. var. aurantiacus), the absolute is usually prepared from the gold-orange flowered species. A number of cultivars of this species have also been selected for garden use, with specific names: for example, in Japan, the white and orange-blossoming subspecies are distinguished as silver osmanthus and gold osmanthus respectively.
HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: The exotic flowers from this plant have traditionally been cherished in the East for a range of purposes. Due to the time of its blossoming, sweet osmanthus is closely associated with the Chinese mid-autumn festival when osmanthus-flavoured wine and tea are traditionally served. The flowers are also used to produce a special osmanthus-scented jam, called guì huà jiàng. The tree is known as tea olive because in ancient times the Chinese used it to make a natural ‘de-tox’ herbal tea to flush out excessive nitric oxide from the system; the tisane was also recommended for menstrual irregularities. In some regions of North India, especially in the state of Uttarakhand, the flowers of sweet osmanthus are still used to protect clothes from insects.
Traditional Chinese medical literature describes the usefulness of the flowers of Osmanthus fragrans in the treatment of phlegm reduction, dysentery with blood in the bowel, indigestion and diarrhoea. The Chinese also used the flowers as a natural medicine to improve the complexion of the skin and today the absolute is still employed in cosmetic preparations. However, modern evidence regarding the therapeutic efficacy of the flowers has shown them to be somewhat limited, although studies have indicated they do have anti-oxidant properties, valuable for skincare. Findings also confirmed the ability of the O. fragrans flowers to reduce phlegm and suggest that they may be useful as an anti-allergic agent. Although little used in aromatherapy, since the aroma is relaxing and soothing, helping bring relief from mental stress and depression, it can make a valuable addition to floral-based blends.
ACTIONS: Anti-oxidant, anti-allergic, expectorant, depurative, insecticide, nervine, regulating, sedative.
EXTRACTION: A concrete and absolute by solvent extraction from the fresh flowers. Since the yield of absolute from concrete is only about one kilo per 3,000 kilos of flowers, the enfleurage method or the infusion process have also been applied to these flowers.
CHARACTERISTICS: A green to brown viscous liquid with a very strong sweet-honey, floral, fruity perfume with notes of peach and apricot. It blends well with lime, orange, sandalwood, rose, benzoin, violet, jasmine, mimosa and ylang ylang.
PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Main constituents include beta ionone, gamma-decanolid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, linalool oxide, dihydro-beta-Ionone, trans-beta-Ionone and cis-jasmone.
SAFETY DATA: No recorded contraindications for external application: best avoided during pregnancy.
AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE
Skin care: Dry or mature skin and general skin care.
Nervous system: Anxiety, depression, nervous debility and tension, mood swings, stress.
OTHER USES: Osmanthus absolute (although often adulterated) is used in high-class perfumes for its exquisite aroma, which is very pleasing to the senses. It is also used as a cosmetic ingredient.
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