Laboratory Investigation # 19
Economic Botany Lab
Description of the Lab
This lab will inform the students about the different uses of plants.
Preparation time will be in the assembly of the stream distillation apparatus (60 minutes).
The lab should take about 45 minutes.
1. Plant Products
Materials and Equipment
Per
Student
Per Pair of
Students
Per Lab
Group
Per
Room
Internet
Simple Distillation Apparatus
1
Examples of the plants listed on
worksheet
Fresh live materials
Rose petals, Mint leaves
Preparation of laboratory Materials and Reagents
1. Extract oils from leaves
2. The day of the lab start distillation before or at the beginning of lab to allow
students to observe.
After the Lab has finished
Questions for Lab #20 Economic Botany
Use the knowledge you acquired in this lab exercise, along with information from your
Economic botany is the sub-discipline of Botany that deals with plants of economic
Thur
Fri
Sat
Sun
Number of species for the week
3. Define the difference between steam and dry distillation.
Steam distillation is when boiling water passes through fresh plant material for 60-
120 minutes. The condensation from the distillate contains both water and oils.
Steam distillation is used for fresh flowers and leaves
Dry distillation is when no solvent is used and the condensation only contains the
oils. Dry distillation is used for wood and other dry plant parts such as amber.
Simple_distillation_apparatus.png
Laboratory distillation set-up using, without a fractionating column
1: Heat source 5: Condenser 9: Vacuum/gas inlet
2: Still pot 6: Cooling water in 10: Still receiver
3: Still head 7: Cooling water out 11: Heat control
4: Boiling point temperature 8: Distillate/receiving flask 12: Stirrer speed control
13: Stirrer/heat plate
14: Heating (Oil/sand) bath
15: Stirrer bar/anti-bumping granules
16: Cooling bath.
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Simple distillation
27 October 2006