GERMANDER, GOLDEN (Teucrium polium L.)

Description

Low canescent, tomentose, lanate or rarely pilose-hispid shrubs from 2 to 6 in. tall; basal branches procumbent, ascending or rarely suberect; leaves cuneate-oblong or linear, semile, crenate, yellowish hoary, golden or rarely green; white, yellow, or purple flowers. Mediterranean regions and the Orient.
Constituents may include alloaromadendrene; α-bisabolene; borneol; bornyl acetate; β-bourbene; delta-cadinene; gamma-cadinene; trans-cadinol; α-cadinol; β-calocrene; delta-calocorene; carvacrol; trans-carveol, carvone; trans-carvyl acetate; β-caryophyllene; cedrenol; cedrol; 1,8 -cineole; α-curcumene; cyasterone; β-cymene; dodecane; eurocarvone; guaiol; oc-humulene; limonene; linalool; cis-linalyl oxide; trans-linalyl oxide; α-muurolene; epsilon-muurolene; myrcene; myrtenal; myrtenol; nerolidol; pentadecane; α-phellandrene; α-pinene; β-pinene; trans-pinocarveol;pinocarvone; sabinaketone; sabinol; teupolin I; teupolin II; teupolin IV, teupolin V; tetradecane; tridecane; undecane; trans-verbenol and verbenone.

Chemical properties

Low canescent, tomentose, lanate or rarely pilose-hispid shrubs from 10 to 30 cm (2 to 6 in.) tall; basal branches procumbent, ascending or rarely suberect; leaves cuneate-oblong or linear, semile, crenate, yellowish hoary, golden or rarely green, white, yellow or purple fowers The shrub is native to Mediterranean regions and Asia.

Composition

Germander contains β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, brassicasterol and clerosterol * Presence of 10 terpenoi- dal compounds including the hydrocarbons β-pinene, limonene, α-phellandrene, and γ- and δ-cadinenes and the alcohols linalool, terpine-4-ol, cedrol, cedrenol and guaiol was detected in germander oil The oil is rich in alcohols and devoid of esters.