STUDY ON THE FRUIT QUALITY OF SOME UMBELLIFEROUS ESSENTIAL–OIL PLANTS

Summary

1. The composition of the essential fruit oils of the investigated plants depends in varying degrees on the locations of the fruits in the plant; it is a biological characteristic that should be taken into consideration in the use of the fruits for recovery of their essential oil.

2. The results obtained for the quality of the essential oils are in accordance with our and other earlier investigations on the necessity for harvesting fennel, coriander and anise at an earlier stage and perennial fennel at a later maturity stage.

3. In order to obtain high yield of quality essential oil anise should be harvested at the time when the fruits in the central umbels are ripe; fennel and coriander when the fruits of the central umbels and 1st order umbels have attained ripeness, while perennial fennel should be harvested when 70–75 per cent of the umbels have reached maturity.

Zusammenfassung

Es wird das ätherische Öl einer einjährigen und einer ausdauernden Varietät von Foeniculum vulgäre, von Pimpinella anisum und Coriandrum sativum getrennt in der zentralen Dolde und derjenigen 1. und 2. Ordnung quantitativ und qualitativ untersucht. Die Unterschiede sind nicht genereller Art, sondern für jede Art spezifisch (Tab. 1 und 2).