114 ODOROGRAPHIA. 
A strongly perceptible odour of violets emanates from the 
young green parts of the Geonoma Pamila or “scented palm.” It 
is a native of Brazil, and one of the 40 known species of Geonoma, 
which are reed-like palms whose natural habitat is confined to 
the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, where they form part of 
the underwood of deuse forests. A specimen of this palm may 
be found in the Botanic Gardens, Regent’s Park. 
CASSIE. 
The well-known odour of Cassie is considered to approach that 
of the Violet. The trees cultivated at Grasse and Cannes for this 
perfume are the Acacia Farnesiana, Willd., a native of the West 
Indies and originally naturalized in Europe in the Farnesian 
Gardens at Rome; the Acacia Bertoloni, a native of Chili; andthe 
Australian Acacia lophantha, Willd., producing flowers of similar 
odour. 
The Acacia dealbata or “Silver Wattle,” and the A. pycnantha 
of Tasmania, and A. suaveolens of New South Wales, do not appear 
to have been planted in the South of France, although they might 
be tried with advantage. There are other sweet-scented Acacias 
in the tropics, such as A. odoratissima, Willd., and <A, latronum, 
Willd., both natives of Coromandel, and A. /omatocarpa, DeCand., 
native of Malacca, whose perfume might with advantage be utilized 
in our Colonies*. 
The young plants of Acacia Farnesiana are raised from seeds, 
which, after being steeped in water, are sown in a warm and well- 
* The recent Report of the Royal Commission of Enquiry into the Vegetable 
Products of Victoria states that a witness, resident in Melbourne, gave infor- 
mation as follows regarding the Australian method of manufacturing “ essence 
of Wattle blossom ” :—‘ The blossoms gathered after sundown, carefully sepa- 
rated from stalks and leaves, are macerated in olive-oil of very fine quality at 
ordinary temperature for twenty-four hours, after which they are strained out 
and pressed, fresh flowers being added. This operation is repeated for seven 
days. One part of this perfumed oil is macerated with one part of pure spirit, 
60 o.p.. for seven days, being frequently agitated. Lastly, the oil is allowed to 
separate, and the spirit carefully poured off.” (Elsewhere, in course of exami- 
nation, this witness lays great stress on the superior value of grape-spirit for 
this use. For some perfumes, grape spirit, containing minute quantities of 
several organic ethers, is preferable to “ silent ” spirit.) 
