Patchouli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Patchouli |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pogostemon
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| Species: |
cablin
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| Synonyms | |
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Nilam, Patchouly |
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Patchouli (say: pa-CHOO-lee) is a special plant known for its strong, earthy smell. Its scientific name is Pogostemon cablin. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which is also called the mint or deadnettle family.
This plant grows as a bushy herb that comes back every year. It can reach up to 75 centimeters (about 2.5 feet) tall. It has small, light pink or white flowers.
Patchouli originally comes from islands in Southeast Asia, like Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It also grows in parts of North East India. People grow it in many warm places around the world. This is because its fragrant essential oil is used in many products. Indonesia makes most of the world's patchouli oil.
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What's in a Name?
The name "patchouli" comes from the Tamil words patchai and ellai. Patchai means "green," and ellai means "leaf." So, it means "green leaf." In other languages, it has different names, like xukloti in Assamese and pachhethene in Kannada.
How Patchouli Grows
Patchouli grows best in warm, tropical places. It loves hot and humid weather. But it does not like too much direct sunlight for a long time. If the plant gets dry, it usually bounces back quickly after it rains or is watered.
The plant's flowers are very fragrant and bloom in late autumn. It is rare for them to produce seeds. The tiny seeds can be collected for planting. However, they are very delicate and break easily. Most often, new patchouli plants are grown from cuttings. This means taking a piece of an existing plant and rooting it in loamy soil.
Patchouli Essential Oil
Patchouli is famous for its essential oil. This oil is used in many products because of its unique smell.
How the Oil is Made
The essential oil is taken from the dried leaves and twigs of the patchouli plant. This is done using a method called steam distillation. This process uses steam to break open the plant's cell walls. This releases the oil. Sometimes, the leaves are lightly fermented or dried first.
Leaves and twigs can be harvested several times a year. Some people believe the best oil comes from fresh, dried plant parts. They think it should be distilled close to where it was picked. Others think that boiling the dried leaves and letting them ferment for a while makes the best oil.
Main Parts of the Oil
The main chemical in patchouli oil is called patchoulol. This is what gives the oil its special scent. Other important parts include Germacrene-B and Norpatchoulenol.
What Patchouli is Used For
The strong, earthy, and woody scent of patchouli has been used for hundreds of years. It is found in perfumes, incense, and even insect repellents. It is also used in some traditional medicines.
The most common types of patchouli used for oil come from the islands of Sumatra and Sulawesi in Indonesia.
In Perfumes
Patchouli is very popular in modern perfumery. People use it to create their own scents. It is also in many scented products like soaps, laundry detergents, and air fresheners.
As an Insect Repellent
Studies show that patchouli oil can keep insects away. For example, it is known to be a strong repellent against a type of termite called the Formosan subterranean termite.
In Incense
Patchouli is a key ingredient in incense used in East Asia. Patchouli oil and incense became very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. This was especially true in the US and Europe, partly because of the hippie movement.
For Food and Medicine
Patchouli leaves can also be used to make a herbal tea. In some cultures, people eat the leaves as a vegetable. They also use them as a seasoning in food. In Indonesia and China, dried patchouli leaves are an important part of several traditional herbal medicines.
In Toys
In 1985, a toy company called Mattel used patchouli oil in their toys. They put it in the plastic for the action figure Stinkor. This character was part of the Masters of the Universe toy line.
See also
In Spanish: Pachuli para niños
