[awagsFare]

I have been interested in plant aromas for as long as I can remember. When I walk though the bush I am constantly picking leaves from any plant that is unfamiliar to me and smelling the crushed leaves.

There is a good book on the aromatic plants of Australia by Wriggley and Fagg (who else!). The describe a wide range of plants and their smells, but they don't go into the chemistry. I recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.

I notice that the Rutaceae rank highly amongst the aromatic plants.

Some of the minor components of the chemicals in plants can have significant effects. For example, small amounts of indole promote the powerful smell of jasmine, but it doesn't actually smell of jasmine itself. And in fact it is present in faeces!