Chemical Properties
This evergreen tree has a dense, gray-green crown on a stout, often twisted, trunk covered with pink, papery, fibrous
bark. The parts used are the twigs and fresh leaves. The lower and younger tree yields the most suitable material for distillation.
Cajeput is a commonly growing wild tree in the Moluccas, Malaya, northern Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. In Malaya
and the Philippines, the name kaji-puti means “white wood,” referring to the color of the lumber from this tree. It also grows in the
United States (Florida), but these plants are not used for production of essential oil. Cajeput has a strong, camphoraceous odor and
aromatic, bitter, burning taste.
Essential oil composition
The main constituents include cineol, valeric and benzoic aldehydes, α-terpineol (free from esterified),
l-α-pinene, l-limonene, dipentene and sesquiterpenes.
