Orris root (''rhizoma iridis'') is the root of ''

Iris germanica Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants *Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional enti ...

'' and ''

Iris pallida ''Iris pallida'', the Dalmatian iris or sweet iris, is a hardy flowering perennial plant of the genus '' Iris'', family Iridaceae. It is native to the Dalmatian coast (Croatia) but widely naturalised elsewhere. It is a member of the subgenus '' I ...

''. It had the common name of Queen Elizabeth Root.

Constituent chemicals

The most valued component of orris root is oil of orris (0.1–0.2%), a yellow-white mass containing

myristic acid Myristic acid (IUPAC name: tetradecanoic acid) is a common saturated fatty acid with the molecular formula CH3(CH2)12COOH. Its salts and esters are commonly referred to as myristates or tetradecanoates. It is named after the binomial name for nutm ...

. Oil of orris is sometimes sold as orris butter. Other components include fat, resin, starch,

mucilage Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance produced by nearly all plants and some microorganisms. These microorganisms include protists which use it for their locomotion. The direction of their movement is always opposite to that of the secretion of m ...

, bitter extractive, and a

glucoside A glucoside is a glycoside that is derived from glucose. Glucosides are common in plants, but rare in animals. Glucose is produced when a glucoside is hydrolysed by purely chemical means, or decomposed by fermentation or enzymes. The name was o ...

called

iridin Iridin is an isoflavone, a type of flavonoid. It is the 7- glucoside of irigenin and can be isolated from several species of irises like orris root, ''Iris florentina'' or '' Iris versicolor'', also commonly known as the larger blue flag. It can a ...

or irisin.

Uses

Once important in western

herbal medicine Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remed ...

, it is now used mainly as a fixative and base note in

perfumery Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...

; it is the most widely used fixative for

potpourri Potpourri ( ) is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant materials used to provide a gentle natural scent, commonly in residential settings. It is often placed in a decorative bowl. The word "potpourri" comes into English from the French ...

. Orris is also an ingredient in many brands of gin,T. K. Lim including

Bombay Sapphire Bombay Sapphire is a brand of gin that is distilled by the Bombay Spirits Company, a subsidiary company of Bacardi, at Laverstoke Mill in the village of Laverstoke in the English county of Hampshire. The brand was first launched in 1986 by En ...

. Fabienne Pavia, in her book ''L'univers des Parfums'' (1995, ed. Solar), states that in the manufacturing of perfumes using orris, the scent of the iris root differs from that of the flower. After preparation the scent is reminiscent of the smell of

violets Violet identifies various plant taxa, particularly species in the genus ''Viola'', within which the common violet is the best known member in Eurasia and the common blue violet and common purple violet are the best known members in North America ...

. In

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, the roots and leaves of the plant were hung in the eaves of a house to protect the house and occupants from attacks by evil spirits. Other magic uses include using it as a "love potion", with the root powder in sachets, or sprinkled around the house or sheets of a bedroom.

Preparation

After an initial drying period, which can take five years or more depending on the use (for potpourri only two to three months), the root is ground. For potpourri, this powder is used without further processing. For other uses, it is dissolved in water and then distilled. It achieves a highly scented, yellow-brown crystalline form.John Charles Sawer One ton of iris root produces two kilos of essential oil, also referred to as orris root butter or butter of iris, making it a highly prized substance. Its fragrance has been described as tenaciously flowery, heavy and woody (paraphrasing ''Pavia'', Dutch translation, page 40). It is similar to

In perfume

Typical iris perfumes (where orris prevails over the other components) include "Orris Noir" by the London-based perfume house Ormonde Jayne Perfumery, "Infusion d'iris" (Prada), "N°15" by Auphorie, "Iris Silver Mist" (Serge Lutens), "Tumulte" (Christian Lacroix), "Aqua di Parma" and "Iris nobile" (Aqua di Parma), "Irisia" (Creed), "Y" (Yves Saint Laurent), "Vol de nuit" (Guerlain), and "Fantasy The Naughty Remix" (Britney Spears). "Orris Noir" contains regular orris root oil, ''not'' the oil of ''

Iris nigricans ''Iris nigricans'' is a flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is the national flower of Jordan. The flowers are blackish-purple and in diameter, and the plants are tall with recurved leaves. It needs direct sun and sharp drainage. It is ...

'', which is an endangered species.

In cuisine

Orris root is often included as one of the many ingredients of

ras el hanout ''Ras el hanout'' or ''rass el hanout'' ( ar, رأس الحانوت , ) is a spice mix found in varying forms in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. The name in Arabic means "head of the shop" and implies a mixture of the best spices the seller has to ...

, a blend of herbs and spices used across the Middle East and North Africa, primarily associated with

Moroccan cuisine Moroccan cuisine () is the cuisine of Morocco, fueled by interactions and exchanges with many cultures and nations over the centuries. Moroccan cuisine is usually a mix of Arab, Berber, Andalusi, and Mediterranean cuisines, with minimal Europea ...

. Orris root has been used in

tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

s to flavour

syrup In cooking, a syrup (less commonly sirup; from ar, شراب; , beverage, wine and la, sirupus) is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars ...

s; its taste is said to be indistinguishable from

raspberry The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with w ...

. Orris root powder also had a use as the base in the making of

nonpareils Nonpareils are a decorative confectionery of tiny balls made with sugar and starch, traditionally an opaque white but now available in many colors. They are also known as hundreds and thousands in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Un ...

. :de:Schwertlilien#Verwendung

References

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