Smoky, woody, earthy-leathery. Cypriol (nagarmotha) smells like a campfire built on wet soil — damp earth, smoke, dark wood, with a particular cold-smoky character.
Smoky, woody, earthy, faintly leathery. A cold smoke — not the warm, sweet smoke of incense but a damp, mineral smokiness like a fire pit the morning after. Less complex than oud, less clean than vetiver, more mysterious than cedarwood. Dark, cold, quietly persistent.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Cold smoke, earthy, woody, mineral
After a few hours
After a few hours
Warmer, more leathery, less smoky, deeper
After a few days
After a few days
Persistent dark woody-smoky base, cold, enduring
Terroir & Maturity
Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.
The Full Story
Cypriol (Cyperus scariosus, nagarmotha) is a wetland sedge native to India whose rhizomes yield an essential oil with a particular smoky, woody, earthy character. The oil is dominated by cyperene, cyperotundone, and various sesquiterpenes that produce a dark, leathery, cold-smoky quality.
Cypriol is sometimes called 'poor man's oud' or 'Indian vetiver,' though it resembles neither material precisely. Its smoky-earthy character occupies its own territory — darker and more leathery than vetiver, less sweet and less complex than oud, with a cold, mineral smokiness unique to the genus.
Cyperus scariosus grows in marshy and waterlogged soils across India. The rhizomes are harvested, dried, and steam-distilled. The oil has been used in Indian perfumery (particularly in attar production) for centuries and has gained significant popularity in Western niche perfumery.
In formulation, cypriol provides an affordable, particular smoky-woody base note with excellent tenacity.
Cyperus scariosus is related to Cyperus papyrus — the plant ancient Egyptians used to make paper. The genus Cyperus comprises over 600 species, making it one of the largest genera of sedges, but only C. scariosus is commercially distilled for perfumery.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Steam distillation of dried Cyperus scariosus rhizomes. Yield approximately 0.5-1%. The rhizomes are harvested from wetland habitats, dried, and ground before distillation. Produced primarily in India (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh). No CITES restrictions. Affordable and sustainably available.
Complex mixture; major components: cyperene (C₁₅H₂₄), cyperotundone (C₁₅H₂₂O)
CAS Number
68916-60-9
Botanical Name
Cyperus scariosus
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
Nagarmotha, Cypriol, Cyperus Oil
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Appearance
Dark brown to reddish-brown viscous liquid
Flash Point
> 200.00 °F. TCC ( > 93.33 °C. )
Specific Gravity
0.99500 to 1.06500 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index
1.50500 to 1.52500 @ 20.00 °C.
In Perfumery
Cypriol (Cyperus scariosus) provides a smoky, woody-earthy base note at a fraction of oud's cost. Key compounds: cyperene, cyperotundone (smoky-woody sesquiterpenes). Functions in smoky, dark-woody, leather, and oud-alternative compositions. Excellent tenacity and fixative properties. common in contemporary niche perfumery for its particular cold-smoky character. Pairs with vetiver, oud, and leather accords.
