All Topics  
Orris root

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Orris root
 
 
  Topics Orris root Topic Home

Orris root is the root of some species of iris
Iris (plant)

Iris is a genus of between 200-300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species....
, grown principally in southern Europe: Iris germanica
Iris germanica

Sorry, no overview for this topic
, Iris florentina, and Iris pallida
Iris pallida

Iris pallida is native to the Illyrian coast but widely naturalised elsewhere. It is a member of the subgenus iris, meaning that it is a bearded iris, and grows from a rhizome....
. Once important in western herbal medicine, it is now used mainly as a fixative
Fixative

A fixative is a stabilizing or preservative agent:*Fixative *Fixation , a solution used to preserve or harden fresh tissue of cell specimens for microscopic examination....
 and base note
Note (perfumery)

Notes in perfumery are descriptors of scents that can be sensed upon the application of a perfume. Notes are separated into three classes; top notes, middle/heart notes, and base notes; which denote groups of smells that can be sensed with respect to the time after the application of a perfume....
 in perfumery, as well as an ingredient in many brands of gin
Gin

Gin is a distilled beverage flavoured with juniper berries. Distilled gin is made by redistilling neutral grain spirit and raw cane sugar which has been flavoured with juniper berries....
 (perhaps most famously in Bombay Sapphire
Bombay Sapphire

Bombay Sapphire is a brand of gin distributed by Bacardi, launched in 1987, having been named via a competitive process whereby a number of leading Madison Avenue agencies were played off against each other....
 gin). Orris root must generally be hung and aged for 5 years before it can be used for perfumery.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Orris root'
Start a new discussion about 'Orris root'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Orris root is the root of some species of iris
Iris (plant)

Iris is a genus of between 200-300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species....
, grown principally in southern Europe: Iris germanica
Iris germanica

Sorry, no overview for this topic
, Iris florentina, and Iris pallida
Iris pallida

Iris pallida is native to the Illyrian coast but widely naturalised elsewhere. It is a member of the subgenus iris, meaning that it is a bearded iris, and grows from a rhizome....
. Once important in western herbal medicine, it is now used mainly as a fixative
Fixative

A fixative is a stabilizing or preservative agent:*Fixative *Fixation , a solution used to preserve or harden fresh tissue of cell specimens for microscopic examination....
 and base note
Note (perfumery)

Notes in perfumery are descriptors of scents that can be sensed upon the application of a perfume. Notes are separated into three classes; top notes, middle/heart notes, and base notes; which denote groups of smells that can be sensed with respect to the time after the application of a perfume....
 in perfumery, as well as an ingredient in many brands of gin
Gin

Gin is a distilled beverage flavoured with juniper berries. Distilled gin is made by redistilling neutral grain spirit and raw cane sugar which has been flavoured with juniper berries....
 (perhaps most famously in Bombay Sapphire
Bombay Sapphire

Bombay Sapphire is a brand of gin distributed by Bacardi, launched in 1987, having been named via a competitive process whereby a number of leading Madison Avenue agencies were played off against each other....
 gin). Orris root must generally be hung and aged for 5 years before it can be used for perfumery. This substance is left out of products that are labeled hypo-allergenic.

Fabienne Pavia, in her book L'univers des Parfums (1995, ed. Solar), states that in the manufacturing of perfumes using orris, the scent of the iris root differs from that of the flower. After preparation the scent is reminiscent of the smell of violets. This unique smell only wins over time in the drying process. After the drying process the root is ground, dissolved in water and then distilled. One ton of iris root produces two kilos of extremely expensive essential oil. The scent then is marvelous and incomparable, as powerful as it is subtle. It has been described as tenaciously flowery, heavy and woody. (Paraphrasing Pavia, Dutch translation, page 40.) Typical iris-perfumes (where the compound of the ingredient prevails over the other components) are: "Infusion d'iris"(Prada*); "Tumulte"(Christian Lacroix*); "Aqua di Parma"* and "Iris nobile"(Aqua di Parma*); "Irisia"(Creed*); "Y"(Yves Saint Laurent*) and "Vol de nuit"(Guerlain*).

Once banned in many parts of Europe, it was smoked and made into pottery.

Orris root is often included as one of the many ingredients of Ras el hanout
Ras el hanout

Ras el hanout is a popular blend of herbs and spices that is used across the Middle East and North Africa. The name means "head of the shop" in Arabic language, and refers to a mixture of the best spices a seller has to offer....
, a blend of herbs and spices used across the Middle East and North Africa.

Orris root is also often used in home-made toothpastes.