_Latin_—Heliotropium peruvianum; _French_—Héliotrope; _German_—Heliotropenblüthen.
The flowers of this plant, which flourishes well in all temperate or tropic countries, possess a very pleasant odor, about the preparation of which we shall have more to say hereafter. In Europe only French perfumers have manufactured it; according to the author’s experiments, however, its extraction presents no more difficulty than that of any other plant.
A synthetic, chemical product, known as piperonal, related to vanillin and cumarin, possesses the odor of the heliotrope in a most remarkable degree. It is therefore much used to imitate the latter. In commerce it is known as heliotropin.
_Latin_—Flores Loniceræ; _French_—Chèvre-feuille; _German_— Geisblattblüthen.
This well-known climbing plant, Lonicera Caprifolium, found in many of our garden bowers, contains an exceedingly fragrant oil in its numerous flowers, from which the author has prepared it. [Some of the American species of honeysuckle would, no doubt, likewise yield an essential oil.] The oil sold in commerce under this name is not obtained from these flowers, but is an imitation of the odor conventionally accepted for it. The true oil of honeysuckle, first prepared by the author, far surpasses these imitations in fragrance.
_Latin_—Hyssopus officinalis; _French_—Hyssope; _German_—Ysopkraut.
Hyssop possesses a strong odor, a very bitter taste, and is used only for cheap perfumery, but more frequently in the manufacture of liqueurs.
_Latin_—Jasminum odoratissimum; _French_—Jasmin; _German_—Jasminblüthen.
True jasmine—not to be confounded with German jasmine (Philadelphus coronarius, known here as the mock orange, or the Syringa of cultivation) which is likewise employed in perfumery—flourishes particularly in the coast lands of the Mediterranean, where it is cultivated as a dwarf tree. The odor obtained from the flowers is one of the finest and most expensive in existence, and for this reason it would be well worth trying the cultivation in our southern States. At present nearly all the true jasmine perfume (pomade, extract, etc.) comes from France.
_Latin_—Lavandula vera; _French_—Lavande; _German_—Lavendel.
True lavender, which belongs to the Order of Labiatæ that contains many aromatic plants, is one of the most ancient in our art; it was early used in Greece for purposes of perfumery. Although true lavender flourishes throughout central Europe, its cultivation on a large scale is carried on chiefly in England, and the oil of lavender from English factories is most highly prized. Much lavender is also grown in France, but the product, though very fine, has a much lower value.