Narcissus and Daffodil

Narcissus in perfumery 395
collection is carried out in an area 200 km across and 500 km from Grasse. It is
therefore practically impossible for a flower destined to be treated at Grasse to
arrive in a satisfactory state of freshness. Picking, collection and transport by truck
takes two to three days, and the flowers are largely degraded during this length of
time. For this reason, a central extraction plant has been set up right in the heart
of the collection area, allowing the treatment of flowers on the same day that they
are collected. Thanks to this proximity, the quality of a product has been transformed
and greatly improved. The central facility alone processes 50–60% of the
total flowers collected each year.
QUANTITIES
The gathering of narcissus flowers is, as is the case for most plant material, subject
to the weather. This situation is perhaps accentuated by the fact that flowering
takes place in mountainous regions, at altitudes between 600 and 1500 metres.
Thus, cold weather persisting in the preceding months, or late frosts, can jeopardise
flowering. Collection may equally be spoilt in years with strong rain, because
of the excessive, rapid growth of grass, practically covering the narcissus flowers
and making cropping impossible in some places. However, it is true that, even if
the flowers are poor, in theory there will be more than enough to satisfy the needs
of the perfume industry. The problem is simply that the pickers, after having evaluated
the density of flowering and having carried out a rapid calculation of profitability
by the hour, decide to crop . . . or not to crop. Their decision will depend on
whether collection levels that year will be normal or low. The quantities gathered
will also be adjusted according to the needs indicated by the industry. This is why,
with medium sized crop being between 300 and 400 tonnes, quantities can vary
between 200 and 600 tonnes in different years. These are the weights of flowers
alone, excluding the stems and leaves.
EXTRACTION
Narcissus flowers are fragile and delicate. It is desirable to treat them as soon as
possible after collection, in order to preserve their olfactory qualities. While waiting
for treatment, the flowers are spread out on a cement slab at the factory (Figure
17.3). They are stored for as little time as possible, in a thin layer which is turned
over constantly to avoid fermentation starting. As is the case for the flowers of rose,
jasmin, orange blossom and many others, they are treated by extraction with solvents
(hexane being the usual solvent), in order to obtain a viscous product called a
‘concrete’ (Figure 17.4). The concrete contains a high proportion of vegetable waxes
that render it useless, in that state, in perfumes. It is, therefore, necessary to remove
these waxes in order to render the product soluble in alcohol. The concrete is a
thick substance that hardens on cooling, and it has to be heated in a bain-marie to
soften before being processed. The concrete is subjected to a second transformation
through washing with alcohol in order to separate the waxes and to obtain
the final product, referred to as an ‘absolute’. It is the absolute that is used in
the manufacture of perfumes. The narcissus belongs to the category of noble