Tazetta fragrance
Jane McGary (Mon, 22 Dec 2003 18:26:28 PST)

Bill Lee wrote,
The olfactory receptors in individuals seem to vary on this scent. I have

The different wild subspecies of Narcissus tazetta, in some systems
considered separate species, definitely have differing fragrances. One that
I particularly like is N. pachybolbus (or N. t. subsp. p.), and N.
panizzianus is also pleasing, even though I dislike some of the commercial
"paperwhites" in this respect. I am now growing some seedlings of
wild-collected N. tazetta subsp. tazetta and will find out in a year or so
how they smell.

In perfumers' terms, I think of the unpleasant component of some Narcissus
tazetta odors as "musky." Many hyacinth cultivars develop this smell as the
flowers age. Traditionally, musky fragrances are thought of in various
cultures as erotically stimulating.This family of fragrances is apparently
enjoyed by many people, for I often find myself in an airplane or elevator
with someone (male or female) wearing a musky fragrance that he or she
obviously thinks is wonderful, and that makes me gag. I'm not "allergic" to
perfumes and enjoy many of them, however.

This may be one of the taste/odor groups that people really do perceive
differently, and it would be understandable that the sexes would have
different reactions to different scents that might remind one of pheromones
associated with one or the other sex. However, individuals, aside from
gender, are known to perceive tastes/odors differently; for example, I once
read that about 25% of the US population are much more sensitive to bitter
tastes than the other 75% are, which explains why some of us can't stand
"weed salad," hoppy beer, and oaky wines. Some people dislike the smell of
elderflowers, but some (like me) enjoy it in moderation. Hamamelis mollis
is also controversial; it is said to smell like a wet dog, but to me it
smells like a nice clean wet dog, and I can stand it if not in a close
room. Some people like the smell of Santolina or Eucalyptus foliage, which
I can barely stand. Some flowers have an almost unclassifiable stench, like
Ferraria, which I no longer grow for that reason, though I do keep a lot of
Fritillaria agrestis on hand, even though it smells like dog droppings. The
"licorice" family of umbellifers -- licorice, fennel, caraway and so on --
is another instance delightful to some and offensive to others. And then
there's cilantro!

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon