I. GENERAL
COMMON NAME
Hexastylis
BOTANICAL NAME
Hexastylis arifolia
FAMILY
Aristolochiaceae
OTHER NAMES
Snakeroot, Snakeweed
CULTIVATION CONDITIONS
This is an evergreen herb found in North America, widely reported in North Carolina, occurring with associated species H. minus: H. virginica (Gonzales).
MAJOR PRODUCING COUNTRIES
North America
No commercial production reported.
YIELD AND DESCRIPTION
A pale yellow oil with a strong aromatic odour. The leaf oil is reported to contain 70% safrole and the root oil 58% safrole
MAIN USES
The oil of Hexastylis arifolia has potential safrole uses as food flavour and is extracted both from the leaves and from the roots.
This material is closely related to the Japanese HETEROTROPA species (Hayashi).
II. AGRICULTURAL ASPECTS
CULTIVATION
None reported
HARVESTING PERIOD
As Hexastylis arifolia is an evergreen, harvesting is expected to be continuous.
HARVESTING METHODS
Not investigated
III. POST HARVEST TREATMENT, PRESERVATION, STORAGE
PRE-TREATMENT
Leaves can be dried. Roots triturated.
PRESERVATION
Not required, the oil is an antioxidant.
STORAGE
No special requirements other than for handling safrole (carcino genic).
IV. PROCESSING
PROCESSING METHOD
Steam distillation
COMPOSITION OF OIL (Hayashi)
Leaf Oil:
Safrole 70%
Methyl Eugenol
Methyl Isoeugenol
Root Oil:
Safrole 58%
Methyl Eugenol
Methyl Isoeugenol
EQUIPMENT
Normal steam distillation
There is no identifiable information for the following areas: PROCESSING, oil extraction, and nomenclature of products
BIBLIOGRAPHY
GONZALEZ, VALOIS-CARMELO "The ecology of Hexastylis arifolia, an evergreen herb in the North Carolina deciduous forest". Ann Arbor, Mich University Microfilm 1973 xiii 182 leaves
HAYASHI, NANAO; MAESHIMA, KAZASHI; AND KOMOE, HISASHI "Phenol Ethers of three North American Hexastylis Species" Phytochemistry, Vol 22 1983 No. 1 p 299
HAYASHI, NANAO; MAESHIMA, KAZUYKI; MVRAKAMI, TADAYUKI AND KOMAE, HISASHI "Chemosystematics of Japanese HETEROTROPA (Aristolochiaceae)" Z. Naturforsch 39c 1984 pp 705-709
Part III - Minor essential oil crops - III. Individual
monographs - 3.6 Hexastylis
"Minor oil crops" (Part I - Edible
oils, Part II - Non-edible oils, Part III - Essential oils)
FAO AGRICULTURAL SERVICES BULLETIN No. 94
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS, Rome,
1992
prepared by B.L. Axtell from research by R.M. Fairman
Intermediate Technology Development Group, Rugby, UK
M-17, ISBN 92-5-103128-2, (c) FAO 1992