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Spikenard
Type of essential oil / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Spikenard, also called nard, nardin, and muskroot, is a class of aromatic amber-colored essential oil derived from Nardostachys jatamansi, a flowering plant in the honeysuckle family which grows in the Himalayas of Nepal, China, and India. The oil has been used over centuries as a perfume, a traditional medicine, or in religious ceremonies across a wide territory from India to Europe.[1][2][3] Historically, the name nard has also referred to essential oils derived from other species including the closely related valerian genus, as well as Spanish lavender; these cheaper, more common plants have been used in perfume-making, and sometimes to adulterate true spikenard.
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For American spikenard, see Aralia racemosa. For False spikenard, see Maianthemum racemosum. For Japanese spikenard (Udo), see Aralia cordata.