Cedarwood, Atlas
cedrus atlantica
Note: base.
Aroma Family: woody.
Aroma profile:
very rich, sweet, woody, warm and balsamic; displays good tenacity in the drydown.
woody, earthy and camphorous
Blends well with: patchouli, sandalwood, and blends exceptionally well with woods
Source
Scientific name: cedrus libani subsp. atlantica
Distribution: currently, Morocco has the highest total surface of Atlas cedar in the world, and it forms vast forests in the humid zones of the country, around the Middle-Atlas range, the oriental and Northern High-Atlas range, and in the Western and Central Rif mountain range.
Description: fully grown, Atlas cedar is a large coniferous evergreen tree, 30 to 35 m (98 to 115 ft) (rarely 40 m) tall, with a trunk diameter of 1.5 to 2 m (4.9 to 6.6 ft). It is very similar in all characters to the other varieties of Lebanon cedar; differences are hard to discern.
Plant part: wood.
Extraction method: steam distillation.
Appearance: light yellow to brown, transparent, slightly viscous, mobile liquid.
Media
Chemistry
The essential oil of C. atlantica is jointly dominated by β-himachalene (54.21%) and γ -himachalene (15.54%). Other compounds are also present but at reduced levels: himachalene oxide (6.23%) and limonene (6.12%). All these compounds contribute to the mixture at 82.1%.
In another work, main compounds were Himachalene with a content of about 31.24%, followed by α-himachalene (15.63%) and γ-himachalene (14.46%).
In other works, this oil is rich in α-himachalene (35.34%) followed by β-himachalene (13.62%), γ-himachalene (12.6%), cedrol (10.32%), isocedranol (5.52%) and α-pinene (5.5%).
In another work, the compounds found in the C. atlantica essential oil in high percentages in plant samples from Morocco are α-pinene (14.85%), himachalene (10.14%), β-himachalene (9.89%), σ-himachalene (7.62%) and cis-α-atlantone (6.78%).
Bibliography
Listening to Scent: An Olfactory Journey with Aromatic Plants and Their Extracts. Jennifer Peace Rhind. 2014. Singing Dragon.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide to the Use of Oils in Aromatherapy and Herbalism. Julia Lawless. 1995. Element Books.
Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin. Steffen Arctander. 1962. Allured.
Chemistry section: Molecules. 2023 Mar 27;28(7):2974 (doi: 10.3390/molecules28072974)
Images: Wikimedia Commons