Is Butomus Umbellatus natural or synthetic?

A fantasy or concept note, not a single material.

Butomus Umbellatus

AccordFLOWERSfloral · aquatic · fresh

HeartPyramid

2/5Strength

—Tenacity

2Origins

Editorial noteWe own no rights to this material, its name or its trademark. This entry is independent editorial journalism, published under freedom of expression.

Specimen

Butomus umbellatus

Fantasy/Concept

Definition

Faint, green-aquatic, with a rush-like sweetness. Flowering rush smells of still water and wet green stems — barely scented, deeply atmospheric.

FLORAL GREEN SWEET AQUATIC FRESH

FLOWERING RUSH

Type: Accord
Olfactive family: Florals
Subfamily: Green florals
Cluster: Green-fresh florals
Source: Fantasy/Concept
Chemical class: Fantasy accord

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

2/5Strength

Low

odour strength

Producing countries

Europe Asia (native wetland plant)

Scent

Faint, green-aquatic, with a gentle floral sweetness. Still-water atmosphere — reedy, calm, mineral. Less defined than lotus, less green than watercress. A riverside note: you smell water, stems, and faint flowers all at once, with none dominating.

In PREMIEREPEAU

DISCOVERY SET7 × 2 ml →EXTRAIT DE PARFUMThe seven extraits →

The Full Story

Butomus umbellatus (flowering rush) is an aquatic perennial native to Eurasia, found along river banks and lake margins. The pink, umbel-shaped flowers produce a faint, sweet, slightly green fragrance — subtle enough that you must lean close to the water's edge to catch it.

No perfumery extraction exists. The concept note captures the wetland atmosphere around the plant: still water, green stems, a whisper of floral sweetness, the mineral quality of shallow riverbank mud.

The fantasy accord would combine aquatic elements (calone derivatives), green-stem notes (cis-3-hexenol), a faint, non-specific floral sweetness (hydroxycitronellal, phenylethyl alcohol), and an earthy-mineral base. The result is atmosphere — a specific kind of waterside presence.

Butomus umbellatus is the sole member of its family (Butomaceae). It is considered invasive in North America, particularly in the Great Lakes region, where it displaces native aquatic vegetation.

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Did You Know?

Butomus umbellatus is the only living species in the entire family Butomaceae — it is a botanical orphan with no close relatives. Its rhizomes were historically eaten as emergency food in Russia and Siberia, roasted or ground into flour during famine years.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

No commercial extraction exists. Entirely a fantasy concept note.

Formula: N/A — no standard commercial extract
CAS: N/A — not commercially extracted for perfumery
Botanical: Butomus umbellatus
Appearance: N/A — not available as a commercial extract
Odour strength: Faint
Synonyms: FLOWERING RUSH

IFRA status

See note

Not applicable: accord or concept, not a single material

Physical properties

Note: Butomus umbellatus (flowering rush) is an aquatic/wetland plant. Not commercially distilled. Used as a fantasy note in perfumery.

In Perfumery

Fantasy aquatic note providing gentle riverside atmosphere. No extraction exists. Built from aquatic synthetics, green-stem compounds, and faint floral elements. Functions in water-themed, pastoral, and naturalistic compositions. Provides specific riverbank character rather than generic aquatic freshness.

Role in the formula

01diffusion enhancer

02signature note

03blender

04volume builder

05freshness

Available as

synthetic accord fantasy note