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.
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.
This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Rose Monotone. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
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.
Molecular Formula
N/A — no standard commercial extract
CAS Number
N/A — not commercially extracted for perfumery
Botanical Name
Butomus umbellatus
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
FLOWERING RUSH
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Faint
Appearance
N/A — not available as a commercial extract
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.