Ylang-ylang , Cananga odorata forma genuina , is a small flower of the cananga tree. It is a fast-growing tree that exceeds 5 meters per year and attains an average height of 12 meters. It grows in full or partial sun, and prefers the acidic soils of its native rainforest habitat. The leaves are long, smooth and glossy. The flower is greenish yellow (rarely pink), curly like a
sea starSea stars are echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The names "sea star" and "starfish" are sometimes differentiated, with "starfish" used in a broader sense to include the closely related brittle stars, which make up the class Ophiuroidea, as well as excluding sea stars which do not have...
, and yields a highly fragrant
essential oilAn essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile or ethereal oils, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it...
.
Ylang-ylang , Cananga odorata forma genuina , is a small flower of the cananga tree. It is a fast-growing tree that exceeds 5 meters per year and attains an average height of 12 meters. It grows in full or partial sun, and prefers the acidic soils of its native rainforest habitat. The leaves are long, smooth and glossy. The flower is greenish yellow (rarely pink), curly like a
sea starSea stars are echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The names "sea star" and "starfish" are sometimes differentiated, with "starfish" used in a broader sense to include the closely related brittle stars, which make up the class Ophiuroidea, as well as excluding sea stars which do not have...
, and yields a highly fragrant
essential oilAn essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile or ethereal oils, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it...
. A related species is Cananga fruticosa, which is a dwarf ylang-ylang that grows as small tree or compact shrub with highly scented flowers. Ylang-ylang has been cultivated in temperate climates under conservatory conditions.
Its fruit are an important food item for birds, such as the
Collared Imperial-pigeonThe Collared Imperial-pigeon, , is a large pigeon with grey upperparts and largely grey-pink underparts, distinguished by a striking and diagnostic complete black collar against an otherwise white throat.-Distribution:Northern and southern New Guinea and the Aru Islands...
,
Purple-tailed Imperial-pigeonThe Purple-tailed Imperial-pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Zoe's Imperial-pigeon,
Superb Fruit-doveThe Superb Fruit-dove , also known as the Purple-crowned Fruit-dove , is a medium-sized , colourful fruit-dove in the family Columbidae.-Range:...
,
Pink-spotted Fruit-doveThe Pink-spotted Fruit-dove is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in forest and woodland in lowland and foothills of New Guinea and nearby smaller islands. It is widespread and generally common. As most other fruit-doves, it is largely green...
,
Coroneted Fruit-doveThe Coroneted Fruit-dove is a species of bird in the Columbidae family.It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea....
,
Orange-bellied Fruit-doveThe Orange-bellied Fruit-Dove, Ptilinopus iozonus, is a small pigeon with mainly green plumage, distinguished by a large orange patch on the lower breast and belly, a small lilac shoulder patch, pale yellow undertail coverts, and a grey terminal band on the tail.-Distribution and habitat:The dove...
, and
Wompoo Fruit-doveThe Wompoo fruit-dove , also known as magnificent fruit-dove or purple-breasted fruit-dove, is the largest of fruit-doves native to New Guinea and Australia.-Distribution and habitat:...
(Frith et al.
1976).
Etymology
The name ylang-ylang
is derived from TagalogTagalog is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 22 million people.It is related to Austronesian languages such as Chamorro , Indonesian, Malay, Javanese and Paiwan , Cham , and Tetum...
, either from the word ilang
, meaning "wilderness", alluding to its natural habitat, or the word ilang-ilan, meaning "rare", suggestive of its exceptionally delicate scent.
The plant is native to the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
and
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and is commonly grown in
PolynesiaPolynesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising a large grouping of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean.-Definition:...
,
MelanesiaMelanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
and
MicronesiaMicronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising hundreds of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines and Indonesia lie to the west....
.
Characteristics
The fragrance of ylang-ylang is rich and deep with notes of
rubberNatural rubber is an elastomer that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex, found in the sap of some plants. The purified form of natural rubber is the chemical polyisoprene, which can also be produced synthetically...
and
custardCustard is a range of preparations based on milk and eggs. Most commonly, custard refers to a dessert or dessert sauce, but custard bases are also used for quiches and other savoury foods. As a dessert, it is made from a combination of milk or cream, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla...
, and bright with hints of
jasmineJasmine is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family , with about 200 species, native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World...
and
neroliNeroli oil is a plant oil similar in scent to bergamot produced from the blossom of the bitter orange tree .- Production :The blossoms are gathered, usually by hand, in late April to early May...
. The
essential oilAn essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile or ethereal oils, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it...
of the flower is obtained through steam distillation of the flowers and separated into different grades (extra; 1; 2; 3) according to when the distillates are obtained. The main aromatic components of ylang-ylang oil are
benzyl acetateBenzyl acetate is an organic compound with the molecular formula C
9H
10O
2. It is the ester formed by condensation of benzyl alcohol and acetic acid....
,
linaloolLinalool is a naturally-occurring terpene alcohol chemical found in many flowers and spice plants with many commercial applications, the majority of which are based on its pleasant scent...
, p-cresyl methyl ether, and
methyl benzoateMethyl benzoate is an ester with the chemical formula C6H5COOCH3. It is formed by the condensation of methanol and benzoic acid...
, responsible for its characteristic odor.
Uses
The
essential oilAn essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile or ethereal oils, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it...
of ylang-ylang is used in
aromatherapyAromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile plant materials, known as essential oils, and similar aromatic compounds from plants, for the purpose of improving a person's mood, cognitive function or health. Preliminary scientific evidence is growing in all these areas. An...
. It is believed to relieve high blood pressure, normalize sebum secretion for skin problems, and is considered to be an
aphrodisiacAn aphrodisiac is a substance which is used in the belief that it increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sensuality and love. Throughout history, many foods, drinks, and behaviors have had a reputation for making sex more attainable and/or pleasurable...
. According to
Margaret MeadMargaret Mead was an American cultural anthropologist, who was frequently a featured writer and speaker in the mass media throughout the 1960s and 1970s....
, it was used as such by South Pacific natives such as the
SolomonsThe Solomon Islands is a country in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. Together they cover a land mass of 28,400 square kilometres . The capital is Honiara, located on the island of Guadalcanal.The Solomon Islands are believed to have been...
where she did much of her research. The oil from ylang-ylang is widely used in
perfumePerfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces a "pleasant" smell.-History:...
ry for oriental or floral themed perfumes (like
Chanel No. 5Chanel No. 5 was the first fragrance from Parisian couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, and has been on sale continuously since its introduction in 1921. It has been described as "the world's most legendary fragrance", and remains the company's most famous perfume. The company estimates that a bottle...
). Ylang-ylang blends well with most floral, fruit and wood smells. In
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, ylang-ylang flowers are spread on the bed of
newlywedMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
couples. In the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, its flowers, together with the flowers of the sampaguita, are strung into a necklace and worn by women and used to adorn religious images.
Ylang-ylang's essential oil makes up 29% of the
ComorosThe Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique...
' annual export (1998).
Medicinal uses
Ylang Ylang is a common ingredient in the
motion sicknessMotion sickness or kinetosis, also known as Travel Sickness, is a condition in which a disagreement exists between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement...
medicine, MotionEaze.