ODOURS OF FLOWERS 



91 



30. Beetle-odour (Odore scarabico) : Cornus paniculata, Crataegus Oxyacantha, 

 Sorbus Aucuparia. 



3 1 . Bitumen-odour (Odore bituminoso) : Iris viscaria. 



32. 0«z'o«-(?(/oa7- (Odore alliaceo) : Pothos foetida. 



33. Rue-odour (Odore rutaceo) :' Aristolochia Bonplandi. 



34. Poppy-odour (Odore readino): Papaver Rhoeas, Aristolochia trilobata. 



35. 7b/5a(r<:o-0(fo«r (Odore tabacino) : Aristolochia gigas. 



36. Rhodea-odour {Odore rodeino): Rhodea japonica. 



37. /"^a-ot/oz^r (Odore pisino) : Gonolobus hispidus. 



38. Fig-odour (Odore sicioide) : Ferraria undulata. 



39. Fermentation-odour (Odore zimotico) : Asimina triloba. 



Class V: Nauseous Odours (Odori nauseosi). 



40. Putrid-odour (Odori di lezzo) : Arisarum vulgare, Euonymus verrucosus, 

 Cynanchum nigrum. 



41. /'«/rz(fji?j'>4-oa'(?Kr (Odore saprietino) : Aristolochia labiosa. 



42. Urine-odour (Odore urinoso) : Arum italicum, maculatum ; Aristolochia 

 Sipho. 



43. Excrement-odour (Odore stercoreo) : Hibbertia volubilis, Carica digitata, 

 Brachystelma tuberosum and crispum. 



44. Mephitic or viverrine-odour (Odore mefitico o viverrino) : Symplocarpus 

 foetidus. 



45. Corpse-odour (Odore cadaverino) : Arum Dracunculus, crinitum, trilobatum ; 

 Aristolochia grandiflora, foetens (?); Stapelia grandiflora, hirsuta, variegata, and 

 others ; RafHesia Arnoldi, Brugmansia Zippelii (?), sp. of Saprina, Hydnora africana, 

 Sapranthus nicaraguensis. 



Kerner has also attempted (' Nat. Hist. PI.,' Eng. Ed. i, II, pp. 199-203) to 

 classify odours, the number of which he estimates as being at least 500. He 

 distinguishes five groups of floral odours. 



1. Indoloid Odours. To this group belong odours that arise during the 

 decomposition of albuminoid substances. It therefore includes odoriferous bodies of 

 nitrogenous nature, and containing one or several benzol nuclei, e.g. skatol and 

 indol, which both appear as constant constituents of human faeces and give these their 

 specific odour. Such odours of dung, decomposing urine, putrefying flesh, stinking 

 fish, &c., are found in numerous Aroideae (Arum maculatum, Arisarum vulgare, 

 sp. of Amorphophallus, Dracontium, Stauromatum, Arisaema, and others), Asclepia- 

 daceae (Stapelia), Balanophoreae, Hydnoreae, Anonaceae (Asimina triloba, Sapranthus 

 nicaraguensis, Uvaria grandiflora), many Aristolochiaceae (Aristolochia Gigas, 

 grandiflora, foetens, sp. of Bragantia, Thottea, Lobia), and Rafflesiaceae (Raffiesia, 

 Brugmansia, Saprina, Hydnora). Flowers with an indoloid odour frequently possess 

 a dull brown, dark violet, black purple, spotted, or flesh and blood colour, which 

 along with the putrescent smell attracts carrion-loving flies. 



2. Aminoid Odours. To this group Kerner assigns all those odoriferous 

 substances that have as foundation primary, secondary, or tertiary amines, i. e. bodies 



