Eden

Penang Botanic Gardens Plant Collection

Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook.f. & Thomson (ANNONACEAE)

Posted at — Nov 13, 2019
Kenanga, Ilang-Ilang, Ylang Ylang, Cananga, Nyai

Description

Evergreen tree to 30 m tall with irregular crown with stiff spreading branches. Leaves 8-20 cm long, often drooping, oblong to narrowly ovate with tapering tip. Flowers up to 8 cm long, pale green turning yellow, very fragrant at flower maturity, in short unbranched clusters. Fruits 1.5-2.5 cm long on individual stalks, arranged in a dense cluster of stalked fruits, dark green ripening blackish.


Ecology

Common in lowland forests. Often cultivated for its fragrant flowers.

Distribution

Widely distributed from India throughout SE Asia to N Australia.

Uses

The oil from the flowers is extracted for perfumes.