A Description of Some Essential Oil Bearing Plants in Ethiopia and Their Indigenous Uses

Abstract

A morphological description, the habitat and areas where 28 aromatic plants can be found growing in Ethiopia and their local uses is presented. Of the plants discussed, seven are cultivated (Trachyspermumammi, Artemisia rehan, Lepidum sativum, Ocimum basilicum, Ruta chalepensis, Curcuma domestica and Zingiber officinale), five are endemic (Echinops kebericho, Thymus schimperi, T. serrulatus, Lippia adoensis and Aframomum corrorima), while the other 16 aromatic plants (Boswellia papyrifera, B. microphylla, Commiphora myrrha, Ajugaintegrifolia, Ocimum americanum, O. forskolei, O. lamiifolium, O. gratissimum, Satureja abyssinica, S. biflora, S. punctata, Cymbopogon citratus, Lippia carviodora, L. dauensis, Premna resinosa and P. schimperi) can also be found growing in other African countries. The chemical composition of Trachysperrmum ammi (carvacrol 69%); Artemisia rehan (davanone44.4%); Ocimumamericanum (linalool 15.3%, camphor 15.1% and terpinen-4-ol 17.6%); O. gratissimum(eugenol 57.4%); O. forskolei (linalool 17.3%, methyl chavicol 19.3% and (E)-methyl cinnamate 33.0% or myrcene 24.2% and eugenol 25.0%); Cymbopogon citratus (geraniol 40.2%); Aframomum corrorima (l, 8-cineole 41.9%) and Zingiber officinale (zingiberene 35.6%) is also presented.