Ginger is a perennial herb and grows to about 3 - 4 feet high with a thick spreading tuberous rhizome. Every year it shoots up a stalk with narrow spear-shaped leaves, as well as white or yellow flowers growing directly from the root. Ginger oil is steam distilled from the root of Zingiber officinale. It has a fresh, warm, woody, sweet bright top note and is pale yellow to dark amber in colour. The essential oil has various chemical constituents including the following: a-pinene, camphene, b-pinene, 1,8-cineole, linalool, borneol, y-terpineol, nerol, neral, geraniol, geranial, geranyl acetate, b-bisabolene and zingiberene.