[Illustration: CANAGA ODORATA]

The notice of Maximowicz,[1] "Ueber den Ursprung des Parfums
Ylang-Ylang," contains only a confirmation of the derivation of the
perfume from Cananga.

[Footnote 1: Just's "Botanischer Jahresbericht," 1875, 973.]

_Cananga odorata_ is a tree attaining to a height of 60 feet, with few
but abundantly ramified branches. The shortly petioled long acuminate
leaves, arranged in two rows, attain a length of 18 centimeters and a
breadth of 7 centimeters; the leaf is rather coriaceous, and slightly
downy only along the nerves on the under side. The handsome and imposing
looking flowers of the _Cananga odorata_ occur to the number of four on
short peduncles. The lobes of the tripartite leathery calyx are finally
bent back. The six lanceolate petals spread out very nearly flat, and
grow to a length of 7 centimeters and a breadth of about 12 millimeters;
they are longitudinally veined, of a greenish color, and dark brown when
dried. The somewhat bell-shaped elegantly drooping flowers impart quite
a handsome appearance, although the floral beauty of other closely
allied plants is far more striking. The filaments of the Cananga are
very numerous; the somewhat elevated receptacle has a shallow depression
at the summit. The green berry-like fruit is formed of from fifteen to
twenty tolerably long stalked separate carpels which inclose three to
eight seeds arranged in two rows. The umbel-like peduncles are situated
in the axils of the leaves or spring from the nodes of leafless
branches. The flesh of the fruit is sweetish and aromatic. The flowers
possess a most exquisite perfume, frequently compared with hyacinth,
narcissus, and cloves.