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Herb Robert - an annual herb growing up to 24 inches tall, with a reddish branched stem that is sticky and hairy. The leaves are palmately divided, with light green, purple-edged leaflets. Flowers (May-October) have five pink petals and five purple sepals. The seeds are ejected by a sudden opening of the pods, which are shaped like cranes' bills. Herb Robert has a strong disagreeable scent when handled Geranium Oil Specification | Name | Geranium Oil Bourbon | | Synonyms | Geranium terebinthinaceum, Pelargonium terebinthinaceum | | Botanical Name | Pelargonium Bourbon | | Source | Steam distillation of the woods and leaves. | | Color | Colorless to pale yellow liquid | | Specific Gravity | 0.880 – 0.899 @ 20°C | | Refractive Index | 1.461 – 1.469 @ 20°C | | Optical Rotation | -30.0 – -7.0 @ 20°C | | Solubility | Soluble in alcohol and oils. Insoluble in water. | | Active Content: | Citronellol, geraniol, linalool, Isomenthone, Citronellyl formate, geranyl formate, guaia- 6,9-diene, caryophyllene, rose oxide, geranyl butyrate, geranyl tiglate, eudesmol. | The roster of the various names of herb Robert gives a vivid picture of the plant. Herb Robert is a member of the geranium family, whose name derives from Greek geranos, "crane," because the seedpods are shaped like cranes' bills. The common name comes from Medieval Latin herba Roberti, but just which Robertus was meant remains a mystery. Leading candidates are St. Robert of Molesme (died 1110), a French monk; Robert, duke of Normandy (died 1134); or St. Rupert of Salzburg (died c. 718), a Bavarian ecclesiastic. St. Rupert was long invoked in cases of erysipelas, a painful skin disease, and some claim it was he who discovered the herb's power to stem bleeding-referred to in the alternative name bloodwort. Because of herb Robert's reputed efficacy in treating felons (inflammations near fingernails or toenails), herb Robert was called felonwort. The names fox geranium and red robin probably refer to the plant's reddish flowers. |
