Description
Herbaceous hybrid plant that is a cross between lavender and spike
lavender. It grows in several varieties, a few of which resemble
lavender, while others resemble spike lavender.
Originally the plant grew wild as the result of natural cross-polli nation. Today lavandin is cultivated almost exclusively in southern
France (Var, Vaucluse, and Drome). Lavandin production from
other Mediterranean countries (Italy, Yugoslavia, Spain) is very
limited compared to French production.
In the past, distillation of lavandin yielded a typical essential oil,
the so-called normal type. Through the careful selection of lavan din strains having a high ester content, new varieties of lavandin
and, therefore, lavandin essential oils with different characteristics
have become available. The variety lavandin abrial has attained
great importance in recent years. "Ordinary" or "normal" lavandin
oil has an ester content (linalyl acetate) ranging on the average
between 20 and 22%; lavandin abrial oil has an average ester
content of 30 to 32%. Lavandin oil exhibits 1:1 to 1:2 solubility
in 65% ethanol. The solubility of essential oils from the same
growing site has decreased slightly in the past few years, probably
because of a morphological evolution of the plant.
The part used is the flowering herb. Lavandin has a camphora ceous, fresh, herbaceous odor reminiscent of lavender.
There are two essential oils: lavandin oil and lavandin abrial oil.
Lavandin Oil: Obtained by steam distillation of the flowering
stalks, lavandin oil is a pale-yellow to yellow liquid with a strong,
lavender-like, but more pronounced camphoraceous odor.
Lavandin Abrial 00: Also obtained by steam distillation of the
plant material in much higher yields, lavandin abrial oil is a pale yellow to yellow liquid. The odor of this oil is more earthy and
camphoraceous than lavandin oil and also is reminiscent of lav ender.
Terpeneless essential oils with an odor very similar to lavender
are also produced by careful vacuum distillation to remove cam phor and cineol. The main constituents of lavandin include lina lool, linalyl acetate, camphor, cineol, borneol, terpenes, and
ethylamyl ketone. The terpene fraction (approximately 7%) con tains pinene, camphene, limonene, and dipentene.
Chemical Properties
Herbaceous hybrid plant that is a cross between lavender and spike lavender. It grows in several varieties, a few of
which resemble lavender, while others resemble spike lavender. Originally, the plant grew wild as the result of natural cross-pollination. Today, lavandin is cultivated almost exclusively in southern France (Var, Vaucluse and Drome). Lavandin production in other
Mediterranean countries (Italy, Yugoslavia, Spain) is very limited compared to French production. Lavender plants are evergreen
shrubs that grow up to 100 cm (3 ft). The plant has small blue or purple flowers. The narrow leaves are gray when young and turn
green as they mature. The part used is the flowering herb. Lavandin has a camphoraceous, fresh, herbaceous odor reminiscent of
lavender
Chemical Properties
There are two essential oils—Lavandin oil: Obtained by steam distillation of the flowering stalks, lavandin oil has
strong, lavender-like, but more pronounced camphoraceous, odor; Lavandin abrial oil: Also obtained by steam distillation of the
plant material in much higher yields. The odor of this oil is more earthy and camphoraceous than lavandin oil and also is reminiscent
of lavender
Chemical Properties
Lavandin oil is obtained by steam distillation of freshly cut flowering tops
of lavandin, Lavandula x intermedia Lois, which is a hybrid of lavender and
spike (L. angustifolia Mill. x L. latifolia Medik.). It is a pale yellow to amber
liquid with a lavender-like and a slightly camphoraceous note.
d
2020 0.887–0.897; n
20D 1.460–1.466; α
20D ?5 ° to ?2 °; solubility: 1 vol in
4 vol of 70% ethanol at 20 °C; acid number: max. 1.0; ester number: 77–108,
corresponding to an ester content of 27–38%, calculated as linalyl acetate
(lavandin oil abrial). d
2020 0.891–0.899; n
20D 1.458–1.462; α
20D ?7 ° to ?3 °; solubility: 1 vol in max. 3 vol of 70% ethanol; acid value: ≤1 (lavandin oil grosso).
Lavandin plants are sterile and can be propagated only by cuttings. The
oils from the most important varieties, abrial and grosso, contain linalool
(26–38/24–37%) and linalyl acetate (20–29/25–38%) asmajor constituents
as well as 1,8-cineole (6–11/4–8%) and camphor (7–11/6–8.5%). A third variety is called super because its oil
contains a high concentration of linalyl acetate (35–47%) and, thus, resembles
lavender oil most closely.The quantity of Sumian, an additional variety
having a composition quite close to abrial, has grown in the recent years and
makes up to 10% of the lavandin crop now.
Although lavender oil ismore valuable than lavandin oil as a fragrance raw
material, lavandin plants are more commonly cultivated because they give a
higher yield of oil (about 50–100 kg/ha) and are hardier than lavender plants.
Cultivation in Southern France is no longer restricted to the traditional
lavender regions, but now includes the Languedoc. Approximately 1200 t of
oil are produced annually in France. Smaller quantities are distilled also in Spain.
All lavandin oil types are used primarily in soap and detergent perfumes;
considerable quantities are also employed in eau de cologne and in bath
products.
Occurrence
Found in the plant Lavandula hybrida Reverchon (Fam. Labiatae).
Preparation
By steam distillation of the flowering stalks of Lavandula hybrida Reverchon (Gildemeister
& Hoffman, 1961).
Definition
Extractives and their physically modified derivatives. Lavandula hybrida = Lavandula officinalis + Lavandula latifolia, Labiatae.
Essential oil composition
Generally lavender flowers contain 1 to 3% essential oil. Hybrids of lavandin contain a higher volatile
oil with variable composition. Lavender oil is a complex mixture of approximately 150 compounds; the most abundant of these are
linaloyl acetate (30 to 55%), linalool (20 to 35%), cineole, camphor, β-ocimene, limonene, caproic acid, caryophyllene oxide and
tannins (5 to 10%).
Essential oil composition
The main constituents of lavandin oil include linalool, linalyl acetate, camphor, cineol, borneol, terpenes
and ethylamyl ketone. The essential oil from Lavandula angustifolia Mill. is characterized by the presence of alcohols (58.8%) and
esters (32.7%).
