Woodland moss
After rain, the forest floor smells of more than its visible moss.
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Recognising the subject
Woodland mosses are small plants, not one perfume material. Moisture, leaves and wood all contribute to forest memories. Visible moss cannot explain every smell around it.
Which season?
Autumn is our reading theme. Moss appearance depends strongly on water and habitat. No perfumery picking calendar is proposed; leave the living carpet in place.
The dossier month is a reading appointment, not a harvesting date. Observe without collecting; altitude, weather and provenance change the seasons.
From plant to material
Perfumery oakmoss is a lichen, Evernia prunastri, not the moss pictured on the ground. Lichen extracts do not mean every forest moss is a material for distillation. An accord can suggest woodland without collecting moss.
Extract · How to study this lesson
Look for four things on a supplier’s sheet: botanical name, plant part, process and batch origin. An essential oil, a maceration and an accord are different things. Distillation does not reproduce an entire landscape’s smell: it selects what steam can carry.
Useful words
Describing a sensation is not analysing a formula. Write “this reminds me of…” when offering a comparison.
Facet
One aspect of a smell: a single material may suggest lemon, green leaves and wood.
Accord
A blend of materials that creates an overall impression. It can evoke a plant without containing its extract.
Extract
A material obtained from a source through a specific process. The plant name alone is not enough: the part and method matter.
Distillation
Steam carries volatile constituents. After cooling, the watery distillate is separated from the essential oil when present.
Absolute
A fragrant extract obtained through extraction and purification, usually with solvents. It is not an essential oil.
Resin
A plant secretion distinct from needles and wood. Its extract and an essential oil distilled from foliage are not interchangeable.
A simple exercise
Separate earth, leaves and wood in a memory of damp forest. Did the moss image lead you to attribute everything to one plant?
Understanding the answer
A landscape combines many sources. Moss in perfume vocabulary does not necessarily identify what a photograph shows.
These materials are learning subjects, not a list of ingredients in Maison du Lac creations.
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Next Cahier
What is an olfactory accord?
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