Pyramidal, tall evergreen trees having horizontal branches, linear perennial leaves, and scaly cones. The parts used are the needles, twigs, and cones. Fir, pine has a very pleasant, balsamic, fresh odor and a bitter, pungent flavor.
A. sibirica, or Siberian fir, grows in the northern part of the former Soviet Union, Finland, and North America.
A. alba, silver fir or European fir, grows extensively in Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the former Yugoslavia). The tree has a characteristic whitish bark.
A. mayriana, or Japanese fir, grows specifically in Japan (Hokkaido Island).
Oils, distilled from Picea and Pinus species, are often traded under the generic name of fir needles oils.
A. alba (or A. excelsa or A. picea) essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of needles and twigs of European fir in approximately 0.3% yields. The oil is a colorless to pale-yellow liquid with a pleasant, balsamic odor of fir needles and a bitter, pungent flavor. Its main constituents include ι-α-pinene, ι-limonene, ι- bornyl acetate, lauric and decyclic aldehydes, and probably a sesquiterpene.
An essential oil is water- or steam-distilled also from the crushed cones of A. alba (Austria, (former) Yugoslavia, Switzerland, Germany). This so-called templin oil is a colorless to pale-yellow liquid with a fresh, balsamic odor somewhat reminiscent of petit- grain oil. Its physical-chemical constants vary depending on the source.
The composition of fir cones essential oil is very similar to the oil distilled from needles and twigs. It is usually added in small amounts to fir needles essential oil.
European silver fir oil is produced in Central or (South) Eastern
Europe by steamdistillation of needle-bearing twigs of Abies alba Mill. It is a
colorless to pale yellow liquid with a pleasant odor of freshly cut fir needles.
d2525 0.867–0.878; n20D 1.4700–1.4750; α20D ?67 ° to ?34 °; solubility: 1 vol
in 7 vol of 90% ethanol; ester content (calculated as bornyl acetate): 4–10%.
Silver fir cone oil (templin oil) obtained from the cones of A. alba Mill.,
has similar properties.
Abies alba oil is obtained by steam distillation of needles and twigs of European fr in approximately 0.3% yields The oil has a pleasant, balsamic odor of fr needles and a bitter, pungent favor Essential oil is also prepared by water or steam distillation from crushed cones of A alba (Austria, Yugoslavia, Switzerland, Germany) This so-called templin oil has a fresh, balsamic odor somewhat reminiscent of petitgrain oil.
