ABSTRACT
Pelargonium species originated in southern Africa where a large number were used as folk medicines with mainly antidysenteric properties (Watt and Breyer-Brandwijk, 1962). A few species were brought over to Europe in the 17th Century and hybridised over the centuries resulting in thousands of modern cultivars. Commercial ‘Geranium oil’ is obtained from the scented leaves of a number of Pelargonium cultivars grown mainly in Reunion, China, Egypt and Morocco. There are, however, large numbers of scented species, hybrids and cultivars which are at present unexploited, but exhibit some potential as odourants for the perfumery and food industry, antimicrobial agents and insecticides (Lis-Balchin, 1988, 1997; Lis-Balchin et al., 1996b).
