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Rhizoma Atractylodis

Q: Is Rhizoma Atractylodis natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: The rhizome is harvested, sliced, and dried. Essential oil obtained by steam distillation of dried slices. Not widely traded in Western perfumery..

WOODS AND MOSSES / woody · earthy · rich

Category	WOODS AND MOSSES
Subcategory	woody · earthy · rich
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	Atractylodes lancea
Appearance	Pale yellow to amber viscous liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	China, Japan, Korea
Pyramid	Heart

Earthy-woody, camphorous, with a TCM pharmacy mustiness. The dried rhizome of Atractylodes — medicinal, grounding, specifically Chinese in character.

Scent
Terroir & Origins
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Woody-earthy, camphorous, dusty-dry. Like opening a drawer in a TCM pharmacy — dried root slices, medicinal warmth, the particular mustiness of herbs stored in wooden cabinets. Austere, grounding, and culturally specific.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Woody-earthy, camphorous, dusty-dry

After a few hours

Warm medicinal depth, rhizome warmth, grounding

After a few days

Persistent earthy-woody dryness, pharmacy trace

Terroir & Maturity

Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.

The Full Story

Rhizoma Atractylodis refers to the dried rhizomes of Atractylodes species (A. lancea, A. chinensis) used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Closely related to the cangzhu entry, this term emphasizes the pharmaceutical/material form rather than the plant.

The scent profile is the same: woody-earthy, faintly camphorous, with atractylon and beta-eudesmol as key components. The 'rhizoma' presentation — sliced, dried discs of the root — adds a dry-dusty quality to the fresh aromatic character.

Functions as a niche note in TCM-inspired, incense, and medicinal compositions. The dried-root form adds dusty-dry texture absent from fresh distillation.

This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Albâtre Sépia. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Related: Alder · Alpha Humulene · Amaranth · Amberever · Ambramone · Amburana Bark · Antillone · Apple Tree

Did You Know?

Did you know?

In TCM, Atractylodes rhizome is one of the 'fundamental herbs' — classified in the earliest Chinese pharmacopoeia, the Shennong Bencaojing (c. 200 CE). It appears in hundreds of classical formulations spanning two millennia.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: The rhizome is harvested, sliced, and dried. Essential oil obtained by steam distillation of dried slices. Not widely traded in Western perfumery.

↑ See Terroir & Origins for origin-specific methods.

Molecular Formula	Key compounds: atractylone (C₁₅H₂₀O), beta-eudesmol (C₁₅H₂₆O), hinesol
CAS Number	N/A — natural extract, no single CAS
Botanical Name	Atractylodes lancea
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	Atractylodes, Bai Zhu, Cangzhu
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Appearance	Pale yellow to amber viscous liquid

In Perfumery

Niche note providing TCM dried-rhizome character. Overlaps with cangzhu but emphasizes the dried, processed form. Functions in medicinal, incense, and East Asian-themed compositions.