Cassie Absolute

Latin name :

Vachellia farnesiana(L.) Wight & Arn. Synonyme : Acacia farnesiana(L.) Willd.

Botanical profile :

Cassie is the flower of a shrub of the Mimosaceae family and the genus Acacia.

Geographic origin :

Cassie tree is mainly found in tropical areas of the world and all around the Mediterranean. The main producer for perfumery is Egypt, followed by Lebanon, Morocco and Syria.

Chemotypes :

There are only two varieties of Acacia used in perfumery:
Acacia delbata: Known as Mimosa (Mimosa Absolute / Mimosa Concrete), native to Australia but mainly cultivated in France.
Acacia farnesiana : or Mimosa de Farnese - (Cassie Absolue / Cassie Concrete), with a deeper and greener smell than the 'classic' mimosa
It is very easy to distinguish the two varieties since the Cassie has mucrons (thorns), while the mimosa does not have.

Extraction process :

The small yellow flowers of the tree are harvested and then extracted with solvents to give a Cassie Concrete. After the extraction process, the Cassie Concrete is almost solid and has a dark black to brown color. However, it is generally not used in this form. It is then washed with alcohol to remove the waxes and obtain Cassie Absolute. This absolute is more liquid and has a brown color.
It is also possible to extract the flowers by enfleurage, but this method is rarely used.

Major Components :

Linoleic acids (30%)
Amyrin-alpha (15 - 20%)
Ethyl linoleate (4 - 10%)
Ethyl linolenate (6 - 10%)
Benzyl linoleate (1%)
Benzyl linolenate (2%)
Benzyl alcohol (0,5 - 4,5%)
Methyl salicylate (3 - 6%)
Nonadecan (6%)