Annual plant, Coriandrum sativum L., Umbelliferae, with characteristic “bug-like” odor. Habit. Asia, Europe, North and South America. Constit. About 1% volatile oil; fixed oils, malic acid, tannin, mucilage. Medicinal parts are the dried ripe fruit and volatile oil. The leaf, known as cilantro, and whole or ground seeds are used in cooking. Description and medicinal uses: M. Wichtl, N. G. Bisset, Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals, English Ed. (CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1994) pp 159-160. Production and constituents of seed oil: B. M. Smallfield et al., J. Agric. Food Chem. 49, 118 (2001).
Obtained by steam distillation of dried ripe fruit. Constit. Chiefly 60-70% linalool, α-pinene, γ-terpinene, limonene, camphor, geraniol and geranyl acetate.
Carminative.