the library

Rose geranium

Herbs & floral· floral

What it is

Rose geranium is the leaf of Pelargonium graveolens, a plant distilled for its essential oil, unrelated to true geraniums.

What it tastes like

On the nose: lavender, floral, citrus. Among its measured molecules: citronellyl formate, citronellyl propanoate, Citronellyl butyrate, aristolene, geranyl formate.

46 of 91 compounds on file carry a paper the library can cite.

• palmitic acidacidreads as taste (PubChem)Measured in 11 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.65 ± 0.00% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'hexadecanoic acid', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• vanillinaromaphenolreads as sweetish (PubChem)Measured in 12 of 341 ingredients.cite

  7.06 ± 1.79% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'vanillin', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• linaloolaromaalcoholreads as spicy, citrus taste (PubChem)Measured in 91 of 341 ingredients.cite

  5.2% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Linalool')
• camphenearomaterpenoidreads as camphor (PubChem)Measured in 19 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; the table gives retention time/index and CAS number, no relative-abundance value — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1 (Chemical compounds found in the Pelargonium graveolens 'Dr. Westerlund' samples), row 'Camphene')
• alpha-pinenearomaterpenoidreads as turpentine (PubChem)Measured in 72 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 'alpha-pinene')
• p-cymenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 42 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Para-cymene')
• citronellyl formatearomaesterMeasured in 1 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Citronellyl formate')
• cyclohexanolaromaalcoholreads as camphor (PubChem)Measured in 3 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Cyclohexanol')
• cyclohexanonearomaketoneMeasured in 2 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Cyclohexanone')
• citronellyl propanoatearomaesterMeasured in 1 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.22 ± 0.01% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'citronellyl propanoate', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• Citronellyl butyratearomaesterMeasured in 1 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.39 ± 0.01% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'citronellyl butanoate', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• citronellolaromaterpenoidreads as rose (PubChem)Measured in 15 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; the table gives retention time/index and CAS number, no relative-abundance value — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1 (Chemical compounds found in the Pelargonium graveolens 'Dr. Westerlund' samples), row 'Citronellol')
• citronellyl acetatearomaterpenoidMeasured in 4 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.14 ± 0.00% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'citronellyl acetate', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• alpha-terpineolaromaalcoholreads as floral, lilac (PubChem)Measured in 54 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Alpha -terpineol')
• limonenearomaterpenoidreads as lemon (PubChem)Measured in 92 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported. The table's own Formula and CAS columns for this row disagree (formula printed as C9H13NO3, which is not limonene's formula; CAS 5989-27-5 is correctly D-limonene's) -- an error in the source table, recorded here under the CAS-identified compound, not the printed formula — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Limonene')
• menthonearomaterpenoidreads as bitter (PubChem)Measured in 7 of 341 ingredients.cite

  1.6% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Menthone')
• rose oxidearomaterpenoidMeasured in 3 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported. The paper's Table 2 describes it as the 'Fragrance found in roses and rose oil' linked to the panel's rose descriptor — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row '4-Methyl-2-(2-methylprop-1-en-1-yl)tetrahydro-2H-pyran'; also named in Table 2 (Sensory attributes ... suggested chemical compounds) as the compound suggested for the 'Rose' sensory attribute)
• β-bourbonenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 5 of 341 ingredients.cite

  1.1% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row 'β-Bourbonene')
• delta-cadinenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 9 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.9% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row 'δ-Cadinene')
• aristolenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 1 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row '(−)-Aristolene')
• geraniolaromaalcoholreads as sweet rose (PubChem)Measured in 26 of 341 ingredients.cite

  13.4% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Geraniol')
• neralaromaterpenoidMeasured in 18 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.17 ± 0.00% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'neral', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• geranyl acetatearomaterpenoidreads as lavender (PubChem)Measured in 24 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.4% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Geranyl acetate')
• cis-rose oxidearomaterpenoidMeasured in 3 of 341 ingredients.cite

  1.4% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row 'cis-Rose oxide')
• β-caryophyllene oxidearomaetherMeasured in 19 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.24 ± 0.00% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'caryophyllene oxide', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• caryophyllenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 50 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Caryophyllene')
• humulenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 26 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Humulene')
• geranyl formatearomaesterMeasured in 1 of 341 ingredients.cite

  1.05 ± 0.06% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'geranyl formate', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• alpha-guaienearomaterpenoidMeasured in 3 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Alpha-Guaiene')
• geranyl propionatearomaesterMeasured in 1 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.46 ± 0.05% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'geranyl propanoate', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• geranyl butyratearomaesterMeasured in 2 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.49 ± 0.05% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'geranyl butanoate', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• phenethyl tiglatearomaesterMeasured in 1 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.34 ± 0.03% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'phenyl ethyl tiglate', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• geranyl tiglatearomaesterMeasured in 1 of 341 ingredients.cite

  1.0% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Geranyl tiglate')
• cis-linalool oxidearomaetherMeasured in 4 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.21 ± 0.08% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'cis–linalool oxide (fr)', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• 10-epi-gamma-eudesmolaromaterpenoidMeasured in 2 of 341 ingredients.cite

  4.4% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row '10-epi-γ-Eudesmol')
• gamma-eudesmolaromaterpenoidMeasured in 2 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.1% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row 'γ-Eudesmol')
• trans-linalool oxidearomaetherMeasured in 4 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.17 ± 0.03% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'trans–linalool oxide (fr)', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• gamma-cadinenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 5 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.6% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row 'γ-Cadinene')
• isomenthonearomaterpenoidMeasured in 1 of 341 ingredients.cite

  6.3% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Isomenthone')
• trans-rose oxidearomaterpenoidMeasured in 3 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.6% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row 'trans-Rose oxide')
• alpha-agarofuranaromaterpenoidMeasured in 1 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.30 ± 0.14% peak area/IS area of steam-distilled fresh geranium leaf oil — Androutsopoulou et al. 2021, Pathogens (Table 1, row 'α–agarofuran', column 'Pelargonium graveolens')
• AromadendrenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 5 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Aromadendrene')
• alpha-muurolenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 7 of 341 ingredients.cite

  0.2% (relative) of a commercially-sourced geranium oil — Bigos et al. 2012, Molecules (Table 1, row 'α-Muurolene')
• α-copaenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 18 of 341 ingredients.cite

  identified by headspace GC-MS of the living leaves and stem cuttings; no relative-abundance value reported — Wendin et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 'Copaene')