Oriental storax should not be confounded with American storax which occurs in commerce under the name of Sweet Gum, Gum Wax, or Liquidamber, and is derived from Liquidambar styraciflua. It is quite a thick transparent liquid, light yellow, gradually becoming more and more solid and darker colored, but is often used in place of the former, though its odor is less fine. SUMBUL ROOT. _Latin_—Radix Sumbul; _French_—Soumboul; _German_—Moschuswurzel. The Sumbul plant (Ferula Sumbul), indigenous to Turkestan and adjoining countries, has a light brown root covered with thin fibres, which has a penetrating odor of musk. Owing to this quality it is frequently employed in perfumery, especially for sachets. In commerce a distinction is made between East Indian and Bokharian or Russian sumbul, due to the different routes by which the article arrives. The latter, which possesses the strongest odor, probably because it reaches the market in a fresher state, is the most valuable. SWEET ALMONDS. _Latin_—Amygdala dulcis; _French_—Amandes douces; _German_—Süsse Mandeln. The almond-tree, Amygdalus communis, occurs in two varieties, undistinguishable by botanical characteristics. One bears sweet, the other bitter fruits (comp. Bitter almonds, page 24). Both are odorless and contain much fixed oil. The special odor of bitter almonds forms only in consequence of the decomposition of a peculiar body (amygdalin), present in bitter almonds, when it comes in contact with water. Good almonds are full, juicy, light brown, without wrinkles, and have a sweet mild taste. A rancid taste characterizes staleness. The fixed or expressed oil, both that of the sweet and that of the bitter almonds (which are identical in taste, odor, and other properties), is used in perfumery for fine hair oils, ointments, and some fine soft soaps. SWEET-FLAG ROOT. _Latin_—Radix Calami; _French_—Racine de glaïeule; _German_—Calmuswurzel. The calamus root met with in commerce is the creeping root-stock of a plant (Acorus Calamus), occurring in all countries of the northern hemisphere, and frequent in European and American swamps. The root-stock is spongy, about as thick as a finger, many-jointed, and of a yellowish color, with many dark streaks and dots. Inside the color is reddish-white. The odor is strong and the taste sharp and burning. SWEET-PEA. _Latin_—Lathyrus tuberosus; _French_—Pois de senteur; _German_—Platterbsenblüthen. Sweet-pea flowers, which have a very delicate odor, yield it to the usual solvents. The odor bears some resemblance to that of orange flowers, but is rarely used alone; it is generally combined with others to make it more lasting. SYRINGA. _Latin_—Philadelphus coronarius; _French_—Seringat, Lilac; _German_—Pfeifenstrauchblüthen.