''Cananga odorata'', known as ylang-ylang ( ) or cananga tree, is a tropical tree that is native to the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Queensland, Australia. It is also native to parts of Thailand and Vietnam. It is valued for the

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...

s extracted from its flowers (also called "ylang-ylang"), which has a strong

floral A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

fragrance. Ylang-ylang is one of the most extensively used natural materials in the perfume industry, earning it the name "Queen of Perfumes". The ylang-ylang vine ('' Artabotrys odoratissimus'') and climbing ylang-ylang ('' Artabotrys hexapetalus'') are woody, evergreen climbing plants in the same family. ''Artabotrys odoratissimus'' is also a source of perfume.

Etymology and nomenclature

The name ''ylang-ylang'' is the Spanish spelling of the

Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...

term for the tree, - a

reduplicative In linguistics, reduplication is a morphological process in which the root or stem of a word (or part of it) or even the whole word is repeated exactly or with a slight change. The classic observation on the semantics of reduplication is Edwar ...

form of the word , meaning "wilderness", alluding to the tree's natural habitat. A common mistranslation is "flower of flowers". The tree is also called the fragrant cananga, Macassar-oil plant, or perfume tree. It is called ''kenanga'' in Malay, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *''kanaŋa''. Its traditional Polynesian names include ''Mataoi'' (Cook Islands), ''Mohokoi'' (Tonga), ''Mosooi'' (Samoa), ''Motooi'' (Hawaii), and ''Mokosoi'', ''Mokasoi'' or ''Mokohoi'' (Fiji).

Description

''Cananga odorata'' is a fast-growing tree of the custard apple family Annonaceae. Its growth exceeds per year, and it attains an average height of in an ideal climate. The compound evergreen leaves are pinnate, smooth and glossy, and long. Leaflets are oval, pointed and with wavy margins. The flower is drooping, long-stalked, with six narrow, greenish-yellow (rarely pink) petals, rather like a sea star in appearance, and yields a highly fragrant

. Its pollen is shed as permanent tetrads. ''Cananga odorata'' var. ''fruticosa'', dwarf ylang-ylang, grows as small tree or compact shrub.

Distribution and habitat

The plant is native to the Malesian ecoregion, from parts of

Mainland Southeast Asia Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

( Thailand and Vietnam), to Maritime Southeast Asia (the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia), Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and to Queensland, Australia. It has been introduced to other tropical regions in the

Pacific Islands Collectively called the Pacific Islands, the islands in the Pacific Ocean are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of se ...

, South Asia, Africa, and the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. It is commonly grown in Madagascar,G. J. H. Grubben and O.A. Denton Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and the

Comoros The Comoros,, ' officially the Union of the Comoros,; ar, الاتحاد القمري ' is an independent country made up of three islands in southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. It ...

Islands. It grows in full or partial sun, and prefers the acidic soils of its native

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

habitat. Ylang-ylang has been cultivated in temperate climates under conservatory conditions. In Madagascar, it is grown in plantations with ''

Hewittia malabarica ''Hewittia malabarica'' is a flowering plant in the monotypic genus ''Hewittia'' , belonging to the family Convolvulaceae and widespread throughout tropical Africa, Asia, and Polynesia. It is a climbing or prostrate perennial herb with slende ...

'' as a groundcover plant.

Ecology

Its clusters of black fruit are an important food item for birds, such as the

collared imperial pigeon The collared imperial pigeon (''Ducula mullerii'') is a large pigeon native to New Guinea and adjacent islands. Description The species has an average body length of 40 cm and weighs about 600 g. It has grey upperparts and largely grey-pink ...

purple-tailed imperial pigeon The purple-tailed imperial pigeon (''Ducula rufigaster'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. References External links

Ducu ...

Zoe's imperial pigeon Zoe's imperial pigeon (''Ducula zoeae''), also known as the banded imperial pigeon, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or ...

superb fruit dove The superb fruit dove (''Ptilinopus superbus''), also known as the purple-crowned fruit dove (leading to easy confusion with the purple-capped fruit dove), is a medium-sized (22–24 cm long), colourful fruit-dove in the family Columbidae. ...

, pink-spotted fruit dove,

coroneted fruit dove The coroneted fruit dove (''Ptilinopus coronulatus''), also known as the lilac-capped fruit dove, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest A fore ...

, orange-bellied fruit dove, and

wompoo fruit dove The wompoo fruit dove (''Ptilinopus magnificus''), also known as wompoo pigeon, is one of the larger fruit doves native to New Guinea and eastern Australia. Taxonomy and systematics Subspecies There are generally 7-8 recognised subspecies, ...

. Sulawesi red-knobbed hornbill serves as an effective seed disperser for ''C. odorata''.

Uses

The essential oil is used in

aromatherapy Aromatherapy is based on the usage of aromatic materials including essential oils and other aroma compounds, with claims for improving psychological and physical well-being. It is offered as a complementary therapy or as a form of alternative ...

. It is believed to relieve

high blood pressure Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. Long-term high b ...

and normalize

sebum A sebaceous gland is a microscopic exocrine gland in the skin that opens into a hair follicle to secrete an oily or waxy matter, called sebum, which lubricates the hair and skin of mammals. In humans, sebaceous glands occur in the greatest nu ...

secretion for skin problems, and is considered to be an

aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. Substances range from a variety of plants, spices, foods, and synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs like cannabis or coca ...

. The oil from ylang-ylang is widely used in perfumery for oriental- or floral-themed perfumes (such as

Chanel No. 5 Chanel No. 5 was the first perfume launched by French couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in 1921. The scent formula for the fragrance was compounded by French-Russian chemist and perfumer Ernest Beaux. The design of its bottle has been an imp ...

). Ylang-ylang blends well with most floral, fruit, and wood scents. In Indonesia, ylang-ylang flowers are spread on the bed of

newlywed Newlyweds are people who have recently entered into a marriage. The time frame during which a married couple is considered newlywed varies, but for social science research purposes it may be considered as up to six months into the marriage.Rebecca ...

couples. In the Philippines, its flowers, together with the flowers of the

sampaguita ''Jasminum sambac'' (Arabian jasmine or Sambac jasmine) is a species of jasmine native to tropical Asia, from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia. It is cultivated in many places, especially West Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is ...

, are strung into a necklace (''lei'') and worn by women and used to adorn religious images. Ylang-ylang's essential oil makes up 29% of the Comoros' annual export (1998). Ylang-ylang is grown in Madagascar and exported globally for its essential oils. Ylang-ylang essential oil is one of the basic ingredients of

macassar oil Macassar oil is a compounded oil that was used primarily by Western European men throughout the 1800s and early 1900s as a hair conditioner to groom and style the hair. It was popularised by Alexander Rowland (1747–1823), a celebrated London ba ...

Ylang-ylang essential oil

Characteristics

The

fragrance An aroma compound, also known as an odorant, aroma, fragrance or flavoring, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. For an individual chemical or class of chemical compounds to impart a smell or fragrance, it must be sufficiently vol ...

of ylang-ylang is rich and deep with notes of

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, a ...

and

custard Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, cheese, or cream cooked with egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also flour, corn starch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in consistency f ...

, and bright with hints of

jasmine Jasmine ( taxonomic name: ''Jasminum''; , ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family ( Oleaceae). It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are widely cult ...

and

neroli Neroli oil is an essential oil produced from the blossom of the bitter orange tree (''Citrus aurantium subsp. amara'' or ''Bigaradia''). Its scent is sweet, honeyed and somewhat metallic with green and spicy facets. Orange blossom is also extra ...

, thus it is sometimes described as heavy, sweet, and carries a slightly fruity floral scent. The

of the flower is obtained through steam distillation of the flowers and separated into different grades (extra, 1, 2, or 3) according to when the distillates are obtained. The main aromatic components of ylang-ylang oil are

benzyl acetate Benzyl acetate is an organic ester with the molecular formula . It is formed by the condensation of benzyl alcohol and acetic acid. Similar to most other esters, it possesses a sweet and pleasant aroma, owing to which, it finds applications in p ...

linalool Linalool () refers to two enantiomers of a naturally occurring terpene alcohol found in many flowers and spice plants. Linalool has multiple commercial applications, the majority of which are based on its pleasant scent (floral, with a touch o ...

, ''p''-cresyl methyl ether, and

methyl benzoate Methyl benzoate is an organic compound. It is an ester with the chemical formula C6H5CO2CH3. It is a colorless liquid that is poorly soluble in water, but miscible with organic solvents. Methyl benzoate has a pleasant smell, strongly reminiscen ...

, responsible for its characteristic odor.Manner, Harley and Craig Elevitch,''Traditional Tree Initiative: Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry'' (2006), Permanent Agricultural Resources, Honolulu, Hi.

Chemical constituents

Typical chemical compositions of the various grades of ylang-ylang essential oil are reported as: *

Linalool Linalool () refers to two enantiomers of a naturally occurring terpene alcohol found in many flowers and spice plants. Linalool has multiple commercial applications, the majority of which are based on its pleasant scent (floral, with a touch o ...

Germacrene Germacrenes are a class of volatile organic hydrocarbons, specifically, sesquiterpenes. Germacrenes are typically produced in a number of plant species for their antimicrobial and insecticidal properties, though they also play a role as insect ph ...

Geranyl acetate Geranyl acetate is a monoterpene. It is a colorless liquid with a pleasant floral or fruity rose aroma. It is a colorless liquid but commercial samples can appear yellowish. Geranyl acetate is insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. S ...

Caryophyllene Caryophyllene (), more formally (−)-β-caryophyllene, (BCP), is a natural bicyclic sesquiterpene that is a constituent of many essential oils, especially clove oil, the oil from the stems and flowers of ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (cloves), the ess ...

* ''p''-Cresyl methyl ether *

Methyl benzoate Methyl benzoate is an organic compound. It is an ester with the chemical formula C6H5CO2CH3. It is a colorless liquid that is poorly soluble in water, but miscible with organic solvents. Methyl benzoate has a pleasant smell, strongly reminiscen ...

Sesquiterpene Sesquiterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of three isoprene units and often have the molecular formula C15H24. Like monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes may be cyclic or contain rings, including many unique combinations. Biochemical modifica ...

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q220963 Annonaceae Medicinal plants of Asia Essential oils Flora of tropical Asia Flora of Queensland Trees of the Philippines