Feel free to use Steffen Arctanders scent classification system from his Book "Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin." Arctander classified natural perfume materials into 88 different families. Listed below are these 88 families; I hope this list helps you with your perfume studies.Â
Group No. 1
Fresh-balsamic Conifer-odors
Balsam fir needle oil
Douglas fir needle oil
Fir needle oil "Siberian"
Pine
Spruce
Related groups: No. 8, 43, 66, 76, 78.
Group No. 2
Sweet-balsamic resins
Benzoin
Styrax
Group No. 3
Sweet wood and root odors
Agarwood
Calamus
Costus
Cyperus
Orris "resin"
Vetiver
Related groups: No. 11 and Angelica
Group No. 4
Floral and woody, tealike
Boronia
Cassie
Elderflower
Hennaflower
Mimosa
Related groups: No. 17, 26, 47, and 56.
Group No. 5
Thyme group
Ajowan
Thyme
Thyme, "wild"
Group No. 6
Bitter almond group
Almond, bitter
Spiraea
Group No. 7
Phenolic leather odor
Amber oil, crude
Birch tar oil, rectified
Cade oil
Leather (tinctures, etc.)
Related groups: No. 19, 39.
Group No. 8
Pine oil group
Amber oil, rectified
Cedar wood, Port Orford
Pine oil
Related group: No. 1.
Group No. 9
Ambra group
Ambra
Cistus
Labdanum
Olibanum
Poplar bud oil
Related groups: No. 55, 66.
Group No. 12
Mild or sweet woody, faint
Amyris
Camphor oil, blue
Copaiba balsam
Guaiac wood
Gurjun balsam
Related groups: No. 36, 40, 50, 52.
Group No. 13
Sweet, non-floral, candy-flavor
Anise fruit oil
Fennel, sweet
Star anise
Related groups: No. 28, 29, 34, 42.
Group No. 14
Caraway group
Caraway fruit oil
Spearmint
Related groups: No. 68, 77.
Group No. 15
Fresh, spicy-woody
Cascarilla
Laurelberry
Laurel leaf
Marjoram, sweet
Myrtle
Nutmeg
Related groups: 16, 41.
Group No. 16
Sweet spicy, powerful and warm
Cardamom
Lovage herb
Related group: No. 15.
Group No. 17
Delicate and sweet, leafy-floral
Camellia
Cananga
Champaca
Lily of the valley
Magnolia
Saffron
Sweet pea
Ylang-ylang
Related groups: No. 4, 9, 56.
Group No. 18
Woody-camphoraceous
Camphor oil, white
Marjoram, wild, Spanish
Related group: No. 79.
Group No. 19
Bitter-herbaceous, phenolic or medicinal
Arnica
Marigold absolute
Mate
Rose leaf
Tobacco leaf
Related groups: No. 7, 73, 84.
Group No. 20
Thuja group
Artemisia
Cedarleaf
Davana
Hyssop
Wormwood
Related groups: No. 27, 35, 87.
Group No. 21
Sulphuraceous, non-lachrymatory
Asafoetida oil
Garlic oil
Related groups: No. 74 and Galbanum oil
Group No. 22
Sweet-balsamic
Peru balsam
Tolu balsam
Group No. 23
Peppery, root like, woody
Asarum europaeum
Snakeroot, Canadian
Related groups: No. 3, 11, 24, 62, 64.
Group No. 24
Peppery
Pepper, black
Schinus molle
Related groups: No. 23, 62.
Group No. 25
Grassy, fresh, lemon-like
Eucalyptus staigeriana
Lemongrass oil
Litsea cubeba
Melissa
Verbena
Related groups: No. 53, 57, 69.
Group No. 26
Sweet-wood and dry-tea-like
Birch bud oil
Palmarosa oil
Related groups: No. 4, 17, 47, 73 and
Gingergrass oil.
Group No. 27
Fresh minty-herbaceous, bitter
Balsamite
Pennyroyal
Related groups: No. 20, 35, 87.
Group No. 28
Sweet-camphoraceous, green-herbal
Basil "exotic"
Parsley herb oil
Related groups: No. 13, 29, 34, 42.
Group No. 29
Sweet-herbal, faintly green
Basil, French
Estragon
Related groups: No. 13, 28, 34, 42.
Group No. 30
Dry-woody, pronounced spicy
Bay leaf oil
Cinnamon leaf oil
Clove
Pimenta leaf oil
Related group: No. 58.
Group No. 31
Rose group
Beeswax absolute
Rose absolute (and oil).
Group No. 32
Fresh citrus
Bergamot
Cedrat
Lemon
Lime
Related groups: No. 63, 82.
Group No. 33
Petitgrain group
Bergamot petitgrain
Orange flower water absolute
Petitgrain Paraguay
Petitgrain sweet orange
Related group: No. 80.
Group No. 34
Wintergreen group
Birch bark
Fern leaf
Wintergreen
Related groups: No. 13, 28, 29, 42.
Group No. 35
Warm-phenolic, fresh-herbaceous
Blackcurrant
Calamintha
Fennel, bitter
Related groups: No. 20, 27, 87.
Group No. 36
Rosewood group
Bois de rose oil
Ho leaf oil
Ho wood oil
Related group: No. 12.
Group No. 37
Medicinal, nauseating, sweet-conifer
Boldo leaf
Chenopodium ambrosioides
Savin
Wormseed
Group No. 38
Warm-herbaceous, sweet, dry-herb-like
Broom
Chamomile "German"
Chamomile "Roman"
Everlasting absolute
Hay oil
Helichrysum oil
Related group: No. 67.
Group No. 39
Sharp minty, bitter-herbaceous
Buchu leaf
Related groups: No. 7, 19, 27, 72, 86
Group No. 40
Floral-sweet, "precious wood"
Cabreuva
Rhodium wood oil
Sandalwood
Siamwood
Related group: No. 12.
Group No. 41
Eucalyptus group
Cajuput
Eucapharma oils (see index)
Niaouli
Related group: No. 15.
Group No. 42
Sassafras group
Camphor oil, brown
Sassafras oil
Related groups: No. 13, 28, 29, 34.
Group No. 43
Turpentine "balsam" group
Canada balsam
Larch turpentine
Oregon balsam
Turpentine
Related groups: No. 1, 8, 85.
Group No. 44
Cinnamon group
Canella
Cassia
Cinnamon bark
Group No. 45
Dry-woody
Cangerana
Carrot seed
Related groups: No. 3, 51, 62.
Group No. 46
Balsamic-floral
Heliotrope
Hyacinth
Lilac
Osmanthus fragrans
Peru balsam oil
Related groups: No. 4, 17, 56, 61, 71, 75.
Group No. 47
Carnation group
Carnation
Tobacco flower
Related groups: No. 4, 26
Group No. 48
Hop (woody-herbaceous and animal)
Hop
Spikenard
Valerian
Related: Galbanum and Sumbul.
Group No. 49
True animal notes
Castoreum
Civet
Musk
Group No. 50
Sweet cedar
Cedarwood Atlas
Cedarwood Himalaya
Cedarwood Lebanon
Muhuhu
Related group: No. 12.
Group No. 51
Dry cedar
Cedarwood East Africa
Cedarwood Texas
Related group: No. 45.
Group No. 52
Oily cedar
Cedarwood "Virginia"
Dacrydium elatum
Related group: No. 12.
Group No. 53
Lemon-petitgrain group
Cedrat petitgrain
Karna
Lemon petitgrain
Related group: No. 25.
Group No. 54
Celery group
Celery seed oil
Fenugreek extract
Lovage root oil
Maple
Opopanax
Pimpinella
Group No. 52
Oily cedar
Cedarwood "Virginia"
Dacrydium elatum
Related group: No. 12.
Group No. 53
Lemon-petitgrain group
Cedrat petitgrain
Karna
Lemon petitgrain
Related group: No. 25.
Group No. 54
Celery group
Celery seed oil
Fenugreek extract
Lovage root oil
Opopanax
Group No. 61
Sweet, delicately floral
Coriander oil
Orris absolute
Violet flower absolute
Related groups: No. 10, 46 and Cognac oil.
Group No. 62
Woody, warm-peppery (Cubeb-group)
Cubeb
Louro brasileiro
Paradise seed
Piper crassipes
Piper longum
Related groups: No. 23, 24, 45.
Group No. 63
Sweet citrus (Orange group)
Curacao peel oil
Grapefruit oil
Orange, bitter
Orange, sweet
Related groups: No. 32, 82.
Group No. 64
Ginger group
Curcuma
Galanga
Ginger
Zedoaria
Related group: No. 23.
Group No. 65
Powerful oily-herbaceous, green
Cymbopogon connatus
Inchigrass oil
Perilla oil
Related: Cognac oil, Cumin oil, Gingergrass
oil.
Group No. 66
Balsamic-ambre-like
Cypress oil
Juniperberry oil
Pinus pumilio oil
Related groups: No. I, 9, 10, 43.
Group No. 67
Coumarinic-herbaceous, warm
Deertongue absolute
Fir needle absolute
Hay absolute
Tonka absolute
Woodruff absolute
Related group: No. 38.
Group No. 68
Fresh-peppery, warm, light
Elemi oil
Eucalyptus
Related groups: No. 14, 78 and
Xanthoxylum alatum.
Group No. 69
Fruity-rosy, herbaceous and tea-like
Eucalyptus macarthuri
Nindi oil
Related groups: No. 25, 26, 72.
Group No. 70
Oakmoss group
Fig leaf absolute
Oakmoss
Seaweed absolute
Treemoss
Group No. 71
Tuberose group
Gardenia
Plumeria
Tuberose
Related groups: No. 46, 56 and Neroli and
Vanilla.
Group No. 72
Geranium group
Geranium
Mawah
Related groups: No. 27, 31, 39, 69.
Group No. 73
Dry tealeaf odor
Hamamelis leaf
Henna leaf
Jaborandi leaf
Tea leaf
Related groups: No. 19, 26, 88.
Group No. 74
Sulphuraceous, lachrymatory
Horseradish
Mustard
Onion
Rapeseed
Related group: No. 21.
Group No. 75
Floral, green-leafy, light
Jonquil
Narcissus
Violet leaf
Related groups: No. 46, 56, 71.
Group No. 76
Turpentine group
Juniperus macrocarpa
Juniper wood oil
Oregon balsam oil
Turpentine (oil)
Related groups: No. 1, 8, 43, 66.
Group No. 77
Warm-woody, balsamic-spicy
Kaempferia galanga
Sanna
Parsley seed
Related group: No. 14.
Group No. 78
Lemony-turpentine-like
Kauri-kopal
Templin oil
Related groups: No. 1, 8, 43, 66, 68, 76.
Group No. 79
Warm- woody, cineolic-herbaceous
Lavandin oil
Rosemary
Sage, Spanish
Spike lavender
Related groups: No. 18, 80.
Group No. 80
Lavender group
Lavender
Petitgrain bigarade
Related groups: No. 33, 79, 88 and Neroli.
Group No. 81
Faint, sweet-rooty
Licorice
Sarsaparilla
Group No. 82
Mandarin group
Mandarin
Mikan
Tangerine
Related groups: No. 32, 63.
Group No. 83
Musty, dry-floral, herbaceous
Mandarin-petitgrain
Orange flower and petitgrain water
absolute (Bitter orange leaf water
absolute)
Related groups: No. 46 and 56.
Group No. 84
Patchouli group
Manevoro
Patchouli
Related group: No. 19.
Group No. 85
Resin group
Mastic
Related group: No. 43.
Group No. 86
Peppermint group
Mentha arvensis
Peppermint
Group No. 87
Sharp-fruity, herbaceous
Rue
Tagetes
Related groups: No. 20, 27, 35.
Group No. 88
Sweet-herbaceous, balsamic tea and
ambrelike
Sage clary
Zdravetz
Related groups: No. 9, 17, 72, 73, 80.