Alice in Wonderland, it is a somewhat whimsical work. At the start, it was a novel, published in 1865 by Lewis Carroll. Then, the Disney studios went through there and the cartoon released in 1951. The story is very similar and tells Alice's journey to a surreal and abstract world. During her journey, the girl meets many characters and a lot of flowers! Among them, the majestic pink, the queen of the garden … But, also the famous red roses of the crazy queen of heart. Why so much fascination for these flowers? How does their scent captivate us?
First of all, there is its multiple and nested petals, which gives the flower its characteristic shape. In its original shape, the rose has 5 petals. She then looked more like a ribbing, which actually corresponds to a wild rose.
The rose is very old, since fossils are found over 40 million years old!
Since Antiquity, we love and celebrate this flower. Its attraction makes it one of the most cultivated plants in the world and it occupies first place in the world market of flowers.
His attraction made that there was a real selection on this flower during the millennia. Thus, there is today a almost inconvenience of varieties. There are now roses of all colors and shades, all sizes, with simple, double inflorescences, in bushes or climbing.
In short, there is something for everyone. In Alice in Wonderland, it is the reds that are popular. But, beyond the beauty of the flower, which also seduces a lot … It is its perfume!
© Shutterstock/Anastasia Sapozhnikova
The roses have been appreciated for millennia and there are today a multitude of different varieties.
Credits: Shutterstock/Anastasia Sapozhnikova
>> Read also: How were roses born?
A perfume that captivates the queen of Alice in Wonderland
The scent of flowers has seduced humans for a long time. Even the most nasty, since the cruel queen of Alice in Wonderland wants it in all her gardens. But red!
And roses that smell good? Certainly…
Ronsard himself declared that “on any perfume, I like the rose”. How is this flower to turn the heads (and the nose)? Already, what parts of the flower are fragrant? It is mainly the petals that exhale a perfume. As we saw previously, the ancestral, wild form, has only 5 petals. However, the selected varieties sometimes have up to a dozen petals.
The perfume also comes from the sepales, from anatomical structures which protect the floral button, from which the beautiful flower will emerge. The stamens are also fragrant.
These perfumes have two main functions, in nature. They allow predators to be repelled and attract pollinators.
Are humans, as in Alice in Wonderland, are they pollinators attracted by the smell of roses?
In any case, the smell of the flower is emulated: in perfume, in toilet water, in essential oil, laundry … The scent of rose is in all that can be perfumed!
>> Read also: Roses: Why are they flourishing so long?
Fragrant molecules at the origin of the scent of the flower
Finally, nothing magical or surreal as in Alice in Wonderland … The scent of roses is simply … chemical! These are molecules, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are at the origin of this bewitching odor.
And these VOCs, there are many! It is not one or two molecules that give their scent to flowers, but a very rich mixture of chemical compounds. A recent study already reveals several hundred compounds referenced!
And among these compounds, some will provoke the attraction of pollinators (or humans, etc.), while others will be responsible for the perception of perfume.
Among the chemical molecules discovered, there are phenylpropanoids, as well as ionons and oxylipins. These last two VOC families are already known to perfumers. However, usually, they are rather given a wooded perfume, of violet or freshness, rather than a smell of pink.
However, the study reveals that the more important the amounts of ionons and oxylipins, the more people feel like the scent of roses and appreciate it. Another “fun-fact” is known for anxiolytic effects in animals, including humans. (From there to “sniff” of the rose …).
However, the study does not yet reveal the perfect recipe for the scent of roses … Despite everything, a pleasant fragrance emerges when there is a subtle balance between ionons, oxylipines, 2-phenyléthanol and Terpenes, two other VOCs.
>> Read also: the capture of odors
Genetics: is it she who captivates Alice's heart queen in Wonderland?
Behind these compounds are genes. They are the ones who spend the cruel Queen of Alice in Wonderland. There are also some who determine the colors, the famous red … A genetic plot?
Previous studies were able to identify the gene that code for the 2-phenyléthanol VOC, which enters the recipe for perfume (almost perfect). This gene is called Rosa Hybrida PhenylacetaldeHyde Synthase (Rhpaas), to your wishes. The flowers that do not have it do not produce this chemical compound, so fragrant.
Another gene is important in the smell of roses, it is RHNUDX1. This intervenes in the expression of the terpenes, a powerful odorous compound. Indeed, the researchers have observed that unfeduced roses do not express this gene.
These genetic works are very interesting, especially for perfumers and selectors, who will more easily know which varieties to choose to obtain the most fragrant flowers. And for Alice's heart queen in Wonderland, it will be above all the “red” gene that will interest her …
>> Read also: The Grail de la Rose Bleue is getting closer
With an unwavering passion for local news, Christopher leads our editorial team with integrity and dedication. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the backbone of Wouldsayso, ensuring that we stay true to our mission to inform.
