Narcissus and Daffodil

Narcissus patents 409
the aid of a foot pedal that has been developed for optimisation of bulb, corm or
tuber planting? Or by the fact that it is possible, by fusion bonding a laminate of
two sheets of hot-melt type adhesives with dry pressed flowers (including daffodils
as an example) in between, to form a decorative sheet-laminated fabric?
Oscillating digging shears for bulb lifting, with the front undercutting shear
oscillating in the opposite phase to the following lift section, and processes to turn
waste flower bulbs into chipboard by a pressing treatment at high temperatures
and pressures (utilising the starch, cellulose and water in the bulbs), featured with
an intriguing family of patents relating to optical and electronic uses, including
endoscope diagnostic systems, in the patent search relating to the title ‘narcissus’.
The latter optical patents referred, in fact, to ‘the narcissus type radiation effect’ –
clearly not related to the genus but more to the original Narcissus himself! These
patents bloated the original ‘narcissus’ hit list by 15!
Other patents relating to the inhibition of stem elongation in flowering bulbous
plants using 1-amino-cyclopropane-1–1carboxylic acid synthase inhibitors, or to
methods of protecting foliage from browsing deer by spraying with deer-repellant
extracts of narcissus bulbs, contrasted somewhat with a series of patents for hair
and skin cosmetics containing waxes (Krause et al., 1998), ‘sedative essential oil
comprising of narcissus absolute oil’ (Kanebo Ltd., 1994) or a ‘new’ ortho-methyl
cinnamic acid phenylethyl ester perfume (Hofmannor et al., 1989) said to have a
‘flowery aroma’. Such ‘flowery aromas’, if containing terpenic fragments, can further
be protected from degradation, according to another patent, by adding rosemary
and/or sage components! Other fragrances include 6-acyloxy-hexanoate
esters (Ochsner, 1986) and 4-hydroxy or alkanoyl 3-ethoxy benzyl alkyl ethers,
which have a ‘narcissus aroma’ (Ochsner, 1985). The plant-derived waxes
are hydrophobic and biodegradable, and can be used as hair lotions, soaps or
shampoos. The waxes are extracted from the flowers and form a protective film on
the skin or hair. They are also said to improve ‘combability’ of hair. Daffodil
fragrances are variously described as ‘warm’, ‘fruity’ or ‘floral’ and are often used to
augment ‘woody’ or ‘musk’ aspects of perfumes.
Lectins derived from a number of plants, including the genus Narcissus, have an
anti-nematode activity, causing mortality, reduced larval weight and/or delayed
development, whilst being non-toxic to animals and birds. They can be used to
protect a variety of crops including grain, cotton, potatoes, sugar cane, tomatoes,
etc. (Birch et al., 1995).
It was not surprising to find patents protecting the use of a medium containing
abscisic acid in facilitating the multiplication of bulbs by tissue culture, or the
method of encouraging vegetative bulb multiplication by cutting the bulb prior to
deposition into substrate. The problems of policing some of these patents may be
fraught with difficulties!
Therapeutic uses
The therapeutic uses of agents derived from daffodils under the narcissus/daffodil
titles also included those that could be regarded as ‘cosmeceuticals’. However, of
particular interest are patents referring to the potential anti-viral activity of a
mannose-specific lectin from, for example, Narcissus pseudonarcissus. A vaccine, produced
from antibodies raised in vivo or in vitro to the lectin, is particularly relevant