Lindera praecox

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Common products:
- Ornamental nursery stock: Lindera praecox is cultivated in Japan as a landscape shrub valued for its fragrant, elliptic leaves and early spring leaf emergence; it is sold by specialty nurseries for garden borders and shrubbery.
- Leaf essential oil: fresh leaves are steam‑distilled to obtain a pale yellow oil that is marketed as a fragrance raw material for the perfume and toiletry sectors.

Industrial and craft applications:
- Fragrance raw material: the leaf essential oil is incorporated into perfume compositions, soap bases, and scented candles to impart a fresh, herbal top note.
- Small‑scale woodcraft: the species produces a fine‑grained wood with an air‑dry density of approximately 0.55 g cm⁻³, suitable for carving small decorative objects such as ornamental boxes, chopsticks and inlays where moderate hardness and aromatic resin enhance visual and olfactory appeal.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
- Essential oil composition: gas‑chromatographic analyses consistently identify 1,8‑cineole (≈30 % of the oil), linalool (≈10 %), β‑pinene (≈8 %) and smaller amounts of myrcene, limonene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (Saito 2006). These monoterpenes confer a cooling, citrus‑herbaceous character that is stable in alkaline soap formulations and retains volatility suitable for top‑note applications.
- The oil is supplied under general essential‑oil specifications (e.g., ISO 11014‑1) and listed in the IFRA database for fragrance materials.

Properties relevant to use:
- Oil yield: 0.5–1.2 % (w/w) from fresh leaves.
- Chemical markers: 1,8‑cineole (~30 %) provides antimicrobial and antioxidant properties useful in cosmetic emulsions; linalool (~10 %) adds floral notes.
- Wood: low shrinkage, fine grain, faint aromatic resin suitable for polished small craftwork.

Standards and regulation:
- Fragrance use complies with IFRA Code of Practice and EU Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008; an SDS is required for occupational exposure.
- In Japan, the Food Sanitation Law regulates natural flavoring substances; the oil must meet JSFA standards for natural flavoring materials when used as a food additive.

Sustainability and sourcing:
- Cultivation: propagation by seed or cuttings is rapid, giving mature shrubs in 3–4 years; growers rotate planting to keep soils healthy.
- Harvesting: leaves are collected after the first flush to maximize oil yield while maintaining vigor; coppicing allows foliage renewal without long‑term damage.
- Conservation: cultivated supply meets demand, reducing pressure on wild populations, which are protected under Japan’s Plant Conservation Strategy; labeling ensures sustainable sourcing.

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