Scent dictionary · Scent families
Floral
Hoa
Floral smells range from clear and innocent to so heady they become unpleasant. The line between the two is often only a few hours in the life of a flower, and the human nose detects that shift more precisely than the eye.
14 entries · 11 linked compounds
(E)-β-Ocimene · 177 °C
Linalool · 198 °C
Benzyl acetate · 213 °C
2-Phenylethanol · 219 °C
Linalyl acetate · 220 °C
Citronellol · 225 °C
Geraniol · 230 °C
γ-Nonalactone · 243 °C
cis-Jasmone · 248 °C
Indole · 253 °C
Nerolidol · 276 °C
150 °CTop
Middle
290 °CBase
11 linked compounds, from 6 of the family’s 14 entries. This is what we have been able to trace so far, not the whole chemistry of the family — entries whose chemistry is still blank will fill in the picture over time.
Every entry
- Areca blossom · Hoa cauA freshly opened spray of areca palm flowers, smelled from about a hand’s span away
- Chinese perfume plant · Hoa ngâuA handful of tiny yellow Aglaia flowers, smelled inside cupped palms
- Coffee blossom · Hoa cà phêStand beside a coffee bush in flower and take a long breath
- Jasmine · NhàiJasminum sambac flowers picked late in the evening, just as the buds open
- Longan blossom · Hoa nhãnSmell a cluster of longan flowers in bloom, in the morning
- Lotus · Hoa senOpen a freshly picked lotus flower and smell the lotus “rice” on the stamens
- Milkwood flower · Hoa sữaA milkwood tree in flower on a late-autumn night, smelled from a few metres away
- Night-blooming jasmine · Dạ lý hươngStand near a night-blooming jasmine bush after nine in the evening
- Osmanthus · Hoa mộcA cluster of tiny orange-yellow osmanthus flowers, smelled from half a hand’s span away
- Pomelo blossom · Hoa bưởiA cluster of freshly opened pomelo blossom, smelled from about a hand’s span away
- Tonkin jasmine · Hoa thiên lýPick a fresh cluster of Tonkin jasmine flowers and smell them at once
- Vietnamese heirloom rose · Hoa hồng taA deep pink heirloom rose picked in the morning
- White champaca · Ngọc lanA white champaca flower held in your palm for a few minutes
- Ylang-ylang · Hoàng lanA cluster of yellow ylang-ylang flowers, left in a closed room for half an hour, then smelled