Essential oil composition of geranium (Pelargonium sp.) from the plains of Northern India

Indian geranium (Pelargonium sp.) cultivar ‘Bourbon’ was grown in agroclimatic conditions of North Indian plains at Lucknow. The herbaceous parts, on steam distillation, gave 0.13% of oil on a fresh weight basis. GC and GC–MS analysis of the oil resulted in the identification of 69 constituents, representing 97.9% of the oil. The geranium oil produced at Lucknow is comparable to that produced in southern hills of India in terms of its citronellol and geraniol content. It is suggested that geranium can be grown as an economically viable crop in the northern plains of India. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.