CHAPTER XVII 



PERFUMES 



As in the case of spices and flavorings, so in the discussion 

 of perfumes it will be desirable merely to consider some of 

 the more important perfumes which are produced largely or 

 exclusively in the Tropics. Several hundred species of plants 

 have been used as sources of perfume. Perfumes for the most 

 part are essential oils and some of these oils which have been 

 used for other purposes as well as for perfume will be dis- 

 cussed in the following chapter under essential oils. 



Commercial perfumes in the form in which they are placed 

 on the retail market are almost invariably of mixed composi- 

 tion. They contain various essential oils as a basis or body 

 of the perfume to which a minute quantity of some expensive 

 essential oil is added, thus giving the trade name to the oil 

 mixture. Many synthetic products have been prepared and 

 these products enter largely into the composition of ordinary 

 perfumes. 



YLANG-YLANG 



One of the most delicate and evanescent perfumes known 

 in the whole perfume industry is ylang-ylang, which is derived 

 from the flowers of Cananga odorata, a rapid-growing tree na- 

 tive to the Philippine Islands, Java, and the other East Indies 

 as well as to southern Asia. The tree is a graceful orna- 

 mental and attains a height of 60 to 75 feet. The finest ylang- 

 ylang oil comes from Manila. Handsome greenish-yellow 

 flowers appear every month. Petals from fully opened flowers 

 in May and June yield the highest grade of oil. In preparing 



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