Нарцис

The plant

Narcissus poeticus is also called the poet's narcissus and pheasant's eye. Narcissus poeticus belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae. It is native to central and southern Europe. The flower is extremely fragrant, with a ring of tepals in pure white and a short corona of light yellow with a distinct reddish edge. Poet's daffodil is cultivated in the Netherlands and southern France for its essential oil.

Essential oils and extracts used in the perfumery industry are mostly produced from N. jonquilla, N. poeticus, N. tazetta and some other species. While all narcissi are poisonous when eaten, poet's daffodil is more dangerous than others, acting as a strong emetic and irritant. The scent can be powerful enough to cause headache and vomiting if a large quantity is kept in a closed room.

Narcissus poeticus is a wild, bulbous herbaceous plant that grows 20 to 40 cm tall. Its leaves are green, narrow and long, and it blooms in late spring (April to May) with one white flower per stem. It is naturalised in Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Turkey, New Zealand and much of the eastern United States, and it has long been cultivated in Europe.

The Netherlands, the most important source of flower bulbs worldwide, is also a major centre of narcissus production. Narcissi account for about 1,800 hectares of the 16,700 hectares under cultivation for flower bulbs there. Absolutes are also sold from other species: one supplier lists an absolute of N. tazetta var. chinensis as a yellow to amber yellow liquid.

Composition

More than 430 volatile compounds have been reported in Narcissus spp. The major components of N. poeticus absolute from the Massif Central in France are α-terpineol (23.7%), methyl (E)-isoeugenol (20.0%) and benzyl benzoate (19.4%). The main volatiles of N. tazetta absolute from Italy were γ-terpinene (27.21%), methyl cinnamate (15.84%), benzyl acetate (9.58%), benzyl alcohol (4.79%) and benzyl benzoate (4.00%).

Flowers from Sirente-Velino in the Abruzzo region gave cinnamyl alcohol (30.2 μg/g), benzyl benzoate (28.5 μg/g), isoeugenol methyl ether (28.1 μg/g), (Z)-ocimene (25.2 μg/g) and isoeugenol (22.9 μg/g) as the quantitatively major compounds. In supercritical CO2 extracts of N. poeticus, benzyl benzoate (9.44-10.22%), benzyl linoleate (1.72-2.17%) and benzyl alcohol (0.18-1.00%) were the major volatiles among aromatic compounds, and α-terpineol dominated among oxygenated monoterpenes (1.08-3.42%).

The main constituents of Chinese narcissus flowers were (E)-β-ocimene (62.73-66.06%) and benzyl acetate (11.65-25.02%), together with (Z)-β-ocimene, 1,8-cineole and linalool. In plants from Greece, (E)-ocimene (61.12%) was dominant for N. tazetta and benzyl acetate (19.36%) for N. serotinus.

Properties

The absolute is soluble in alcohol and insoluble in water. It should be stored in a cool, dry place in tightly sealed containers, protected from heat and light. Its shelf life is 12 months or longer if stored properly.

The genus and the figure

The genus is generally considered to have about ten sections with approximately 70-80 species. Narcissus occurs primarily in the Mediterranean region, with a centre of diversity in the Iberian Peninsula. The genus arose between the Late Oligocene and the Early Miocene, in the Iberian Peninsula and adjacent areas of southwest Europe. A few species extend the range into southern France, Italy and the Balkans, among them N. poeticus, N. serotinus and N. tazetta. The flowers are generally white and yellow, and orange or pink in garden varieties.

In Greek mythology, Narcissus is a handsome youth who becomes enamoured with his own reflection in a pool of water. In the most famous version, by the Roman poet Ovid, Narcissus rejects numerous suitors, including the nymph Echo. By the influence of Nemesis he becomes infatuated with his reflection, stays by the pool until he dies, and a narcissus flower later grows in that place. The mythological figure Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism.

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