Verbenon rosemary has more of the balsamic-piney aroma typical of a fresh plant than the penetrating, refreshing notes more typical of the well known camphor chemotype. Another plant that displays a wide variation of chemotypes is basil. These differences are readily apparent to herb gardeners, who may grow varieties that include licorice, lemon and cinnamon scented plants. The two types of basil essential oils of greatest importance to aromatherapy are sweet basil oil and Reunion basil oil. The European type, or pure sweet basil oil, is distilled from a strain of basil with an exceptionally high proportion of the terpene alcohol constituent known as linalool.
Pure linalool has a fine, delightfully sweet aroma.
Its aromatic properties are apparent in a variety of essential oils including rosewood and lavender. The finest European type basil oils are distilled from isolated strains of basil with a high percentage of linalool. These oils are quite hard to come by and are highly priced. The Reunion type basil oil is distilled from a strain of basil growing on Reunion and the Comoro Islands off the east coast of Africa. The Reunion chemotype essential oil has a more woody-camphoraceous aroma due to the absence of linalool and the presence of methylchavicol and camphor.