cis-3-Hexenol

Say itSIS-THREE-HEK-suh-nawl

Freshly cut grass and crushed green leaves; sharp and vivid.

What it is: A molecule made in a lab.
Where it comes from: synthesized, natural grades also produced
When you smell it: Top notes: the first minutes.
What perfumers do with it: The quintessential cut-grass note; adds instant natural greenness to florals, fruits and fresh accords.
Worth knowing: Japanese chemist Sankichi Takei identified it in green tea in the 1930s and named it 'leaf alcohol'.
Also called: Leaf alcohol; (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol

Not on the label of any of the 232 perfumes read so far.

Sources