Sweet Vernal Grass Absolute (Flouve) — Anthoxanthum odoratum — France

Anthoxanthum odoratum L. belongs to the grass family (Poaceae). It is a short-lived perennial forming tufts up to 70 cm, with compact spikes that turn yellow when ripe; hence its name, “yellow flower” in Latinised Greek.

It grows naturally from Macaronesia and North Africa to Mongolia, in acid grasslands and hay meadows; it is native to Spain. It flowers early, in late spring.

For perfumery, the whole plant is harvested in flower. Alive, it barely smells: it stores its aromatic principle as glucosides, which only release coumarin when the tissue dries.

It should not be confused with bison grass (Anthoxanthum nitens, formerly Hierochloë odorata), a close relative with a similar scent, nor with hay absolute, obtained from mixed grasses.

The grass is cut at different points in the season, from spring to late summer, and left to air-dry for a few days before extraction. This drying is the decisive step: without it, the coumarin is not released and the plant keeps only a green-grass smell.

The dried plant is extracted with volatile solvents to obtain a concrete, which is washed in ethanol to separate the waxes. Once the alcohol is removed, the absolute remains: a dark, very thick material.

Flouve essential oil is hardly produced; the absolute is the form in which this material reaches perfumery.

The plant. Fresh, flouve is green and herbaceous. Dried, it gives off the smell of freshly cut hay, with a hint of vanilla.

The neat absolute. Dry, sweet hay over a coumarin base, with echoes of dark honey, cured tobacco leaf and baking spices. Steffen Arctander considered it one of the richest and most complex naturals. Its density makes it hard to read undiluted.

Evolution. It diffuses easily from the blotter and lasts for many hours.

• Fougère: provides the hay accord with more plant texture than isolated coumarin.
• Ambers: adds warmth and a herbaceous base to amber and cistus bases.
• Chypres: links with mosses and green bases.
• Aromatics: accompanies lavender and Mediterranean herbs.
• White florals: rounds out jasmine and orange blossom with a warm base.

Contains coumarin, a substance restricted by IFRA. Check the batch certificate before formulating.

• Plants of the World Online — Anthoxanthum odoratum L. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
• Alm, T. (2015). Scented grasses in Norway — identity and uses. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 11: 83.
• IFRA Standard: Coumarin (amendment 49, 2020). International Fragrance Association.
• Arctander, S. (1960). Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin. Elizabeth, N. J.