Narcissus and Daffodil

Narcissus in perfumery 397
perfumes, a title shared by other flowers such as rose, jasmin and bitter orange
blossom.
The low productivity of absolute from the narcissus makes it an expensive product
that cannot be used other than in luxury perfumes:
• 1000 kg of flowers provides about 2 kg of concrete (0.2%).
• From this amount of concrete, after removing the waxes, 750 g of absolute is
obtained.
It therefore takes a total of 1300–1400 kg of flowers to obtain 1 kg of absolute.
However, it is not only its price that determines the value of narcissus absolute, but
also the olfactory quality, and these factors determine the success of a perfume.
OLFACTORY DESCRIPTION
It is always difficult to describe an olfactory sensation in words. Our vocabulary is
just not adapted to it, whatever language we use. It is also very difficult to know if
one particular scent is perceived in the same manner by two different people. All
this makes the description of a scent a difficult and hazardous exercise. In the case
of narcissus, an olfactory description is so much more difficult since this absolute is
almost a perfume by itself. Its scent is rich and complex. In it one can sometimes
be reminded of the elusive fragrance of iris, rose, jasmin, tuberose, ylang-ylang,
orange blossom, storax and oak moss. All these brought together form a scent that
is intense and lasting, flowery and exciting at the same time.
The main components of the volatile part of narcissus absolute are listed in
Table 17.1.
Table 17.1 Main Components of the Volatile
Part of Narcissus Absolute
Compound % of Volatile
α-terpineol 23.7
Methyl trans-isoeugenol 20.0
Benzyl benzoate 19.4
Coumarin 8.9
Benzyl alcohol 5.0
δ-3-carene 3.4
Phenylethyl alcohol 2.2
Ethyl palmitate 2.2
Cinnamyl alcohol 2.0
Phenylpropyl acetate 1.7
1,8-cineole 1.5
β-caryophyllene 1.0
Benzyl acetate 0.7
Isoeugenol 0.6
cis-3-hexenyl acetate 0.5
Cinnamyl cinnamate 0.5
Total 91.3