# Analysis of Floral Scent Component of Three Iris Species at Different Stages
## 5 Conclusions  
This study delves into the nuanced variations in floral scent composition among three Iris plant species: _Iris utilora_, _Iris typhifolia_, and _Iris samguinea_, spanning various developmental stages. Utilizing advanced electronic nose technology and headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), the research reveals substantial transformations in the aromatic profiles of Iris flowers throughout their developmental stages.  
Electronic nose measurements, complemented by principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), demonstrate the ability to distinguish the floral scents of _Iris typhifolia_, _Iris samguinea_, and _Iris utilora_ at various growth stages. Sensor contribution analysis underscores the significance of specific sensors in identifying key volatile compounds, with sulfur compounds, terpenes, organic sulfur compounds, aromatics, methane, nitrogen compounds, and alcohols emerging as pivotal contributors to these differentiating scents.  
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) further elucidates significant disparities in volatile components across the three Iris species, consistently detecting common compounds, such as nonyl aldehyde, capric aldehyde, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, and n-heptadecane throughout the developmental stages. Cluster analysis confirms distinct aromatic profiles among the Iris species, particularly highlighting the abundance of terpenoids and esters in the decay stages of _Iris typhifolia_ and _Iris samguinea_. The study underscores the economic and medicinal potential of these Iris varieties, extending their value beyond ornamental purposes. Compounds like 2-hexneal, 3-hexenol, linalool, and n-hexyl alcohol hold promise for fragrance production, while others like nonanal, geraniol, and acetaldehyde find applications in edible fragrance formulations. Methyl salicate, limonene, B-nitrostyrene, etc., serve as crucial raw materials for pharmaceutical synthesis.  
In conclusion, this research enhances our understanding of the diverse floral scents within the Iris genus, paving the way for the development of Iris-scented products and exploring their broader economic and medicinal potential. The findings contribute to the future development of Iris's medicinal value and the application of Iris-scented perfume, essential oil, and aromatherapy.  
The following supporting information can be downloaded at: [[https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/horticulture10020153/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/horticulture10020153/s1)]([https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/horticulture10020153/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/horticulture10020153/s1)).  
Conceptualization, K.C., Z.B., H.X., W.C., W.J. and H.C.; Methodology, K.C., Z.B., H.X., W.C., W.J. and H.C.; Software, W.C., W.J. and H.C.; Validation, K.C., Z.B., H.X. and W.J.; Formal analysis, K.C., Z.B. and H.X.; Resources, Y.Z.; Data curation, K.C. and W.J.; Writing--originaldraft, K.C., Z.B., H.X., W.C. and W.J.; Writing--review & editing, K.C., Y.Z. and H.C; Visualization, W.J.; Supervision, Y.Z. and H.C.; Project administration, H.C.; Funding acquisition, Y.Z. and H.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31701962) and the Beijing Municipal Park Management Center Science and Technology Project \"Breeding and Evaluation of Drought-resistant Iris Excellent Varieties\" (ZX2019010).  
Data Availability Statement: Data is available in the Supplementary Materials.  
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.