Orris root (''Rhizoma iridis'';

etymology Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...

possibly an alteration of '' iris'') is the root of '' Iris germanica'' and '' Iris pallida''. It had the common name of Queen Elizabeth Root. It is commonly used as a fixative and base note in

perfumery Perfume (, ) is a mixture of fragrance, fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), Fixative (perfumery), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agre ...

and as a

botanical Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

gin Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper berries and other botanical ingredients. Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe. The modern gin was modified in Flanders and the Netherlands ...

Constituent chemicals

The most valued component of orris root is oil of orris (0.1–0.2%), a yellow-white mass containing

myristic acid Myristic acid (IUPAC name: tetradecanoic acid) is a common saturated fatty acid with the molecular formula . Its salts and esters are commonly referred to as myristates or tetradecanoates. The name of the acyl group derived from myristic acid is m ...

. Oil of orris is sometimes sold as orris butter. Other components include fat, resin, starch,

mucilage Mucilage is a thick gluey substance produced by nearly all plants and some microorganisms. These microorganisms include protists which use it for their locomotion, with the direction of their movement always opposite to that of the secretion of ...

, bitter extractive, and a

glucoside A glucoside is a glycoside that is chemically derived from glucose. Glucosides are common in plants, but rare in animals. Glucose is produced when a glucoside is hydrolysed by purely chemical means, or decomposed by fermentation or enzymes. Th ...

called iridin or irisin.

Uses

Once important in western

herbal medicine Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

, it is now used mainly as a fixative and base note in

; it is the most widely used fixative for

potpourri Potpourri ( ) is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant materials used to provide a gentle natural scent, commonly in residential settings. It is often placed in a decorative bowl. Etymology The word "potpourri" comes into English from ...

. Orris is also an ingredient in many brands of

,T. K. Lim including Bombay Sapphire. 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. In

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, the roots and leaves of the plant were hung in the eaves of a house to protect the house and occupants from attacks by evil spirits. Other magic uses include using it as a

love potion A love potion (''poculum amatorium'') is a magical liquid which supposedly causes the drinker to develop feelings of love towards the person who served it. Another common term to describe the potion, ''philtre'', is thought to have originated ...

, with the root powder in sachets, or sprinkled around the house or sheets of a bedroom.

Preparation

After an initial drying period, which can take five years or more depending on the use (for potpourri only two to three months), the root is ground. For potpourri, this powder is used without further processing. For other uses, it is dissolved in water and then distilled. It achieves a highly scented, yellow-brown crystalline form.John Charles Sawer One ton of iris root produces two kilos of essential oil, also referred to as orris root butter or butter of iris, and it is the most expensive substance used in the fragrance industry. Its fragrance has been described as tenaciously flowery, heavy and woody (paraphrasing ''Pavia'', Dutch translation, page 40). It is similar to violets.

In perfume

Typical iris perfumes (where orris prevails over the other components) include "Orris Noir" by the London-based perfume house Ormonde Jayne Perfumery, "Infusion d'iris" (Prada), "N°15" by Auphorie, "Iris Silver Mist" (Serge Lutens), "Tumulte" (Christian Lacroix), "Iris nobile" (Aqua di Parma), "Irisia" (Creed), "Y" (Yves Saint Laurent), "Vol de nuit" (Guerlain), and "Fantasy The Naughty Remix" (Britney Spears). "Orris Noir" contains regular orris root oil, ''not'' the oil of '' Iris nigricans'', which is an endangered species.

In cuisine

Orris root is often included as one of the many ingredients of ras el hanout, a blend of herbs and spices used across the Middle East and North Africa, primarily associated with

Moroccan cuisine Moroccan cuisine () is the cuisine of Morocco, fueled by interactions and exchanges with many cultures and nations over the centuries. Moroccan cuisine is usually a mix of Arab cuisine, Arab, Berber cuisine, Berber, Andalusian cuisine, Andalusi, ...

. Orris root has been used in

tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

s to flavour

syrup In cooking, syrup (less commonly sirup; from ; , beverage, wine and ) is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a Solution (chemistry), solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars but ...

s; its taste is said to be indistinguishable from

raspberry The raspberry is the edible fruit of several plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the Rosaceae, rose family, most of which are in the subgenus ''Rubus#Modern classification, Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Ras ...

. Orris root powder also had a use as the base in the making of nonpareils.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orris Root Iridaceae