Ylang-ylang tree | |
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Flowers of Cananga odorata | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Magnoliids |
Order: | Magnoliales |
Family: | Annonaceae |
Genus: | Cananga |
Species: | C. odorata |
Binomial name | |
Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook.f. & Thomson |
Cananga odorata, known as the cananga tree (Indonesian: kenanga, Balinese: sandat, Acehnese: seulanga, Filipino: ilang-ilang, Ilocano: allangigan), is a tropical tree that originates in Indonesia, which in early 19th century spread to Malaysia and the Philippines. It is valued for the perfume extracted from its flowers, called ylang-ylang /ˈiːlæŋ ˈiːlæŋ/ EE-lang-EE-lang (a name also sometimes used for the tree itself), which is an essential oil used in aromatherapy. The tree is also called the fragrant cananga, Macassar-oil plant, or perfume tree. Traditional Polynesian names include Mata‘oi (Cook Islands), Mohokoi (Tonga), Moso‘oi (Samoa), Moto‘oi (Hawai), Mokosoi/Mokasoi/Mokohoi (Fiji).
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.