Editing Orris root (section)

== Preparation ==
After an initial drying period, which can take five years or more depending on the use (for potpourri only two to three months<ref name="Boland" />), the root is ground. For potpourri, this powder is used without further processing. For other uses, it is dissolved in water and then distilled. It achieves a highly scented, yellow-brown crystalline form.<ref name=sawer>John Charles Sawer {{Google books|J_cJAwAAQBAJ|Odorographia a natural history of raw materials and drugs used in the perfume industry intended to serve growers, manufacturers and consumers|page=108}}</ref> One ton of iris root produces two kilos of essential oil, also referred to as orris root butter or butter of iris, and it is the most expensive substance used in the fragrance industry.<ref name="black1">{{cite book |last1=Black |first1=Kirsty |title=Whisky and Other Spirits (Third Edition) |date=2022 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/orris-root |access-date=17 November 2023}}</ref> Its fragrance has been described as tenaciously flowery, heavy and woody (paraphrasing ''Pavia'', Dutch translation, page 40). It is similar to [[viola (plant)|violets]].<ref name=sawer />