APEIL 1 TO JUNE 30, 1914. 



159 



38650 to 38658— Continued. 



Distribution. — A shrub with large showy yellow flowers in clusters 

 found in tropical Africa and Asia and the islands of the Indian Ocean. 

 38652. Canangium odoratum (I^am.) Baill. Annonaceae. 



(Carmnga odorata Lam.) Ylang-ylang. 



See S. P. I. Nos. 20908 and 35243 for previous introductions and de- 

 scription. 



"A tree bearing a profusion of greenish yellow fragrant flowers with 

 long, fringelike petals, from which the perfume ilang-ilang [ylang-ylang] 

 is made. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, ovate oblong, finely acuminate, 

 puberulous beneath ; sepals 3 ; petals 6, in two series, narrowly linear ; 

 stamens many, linear, borne at the base of the ovary, the connective 

 produced into a lanceolate, acute process ; ovaries many ; style oblong ; 

 ripe carpels about 12, ovoid or obovoid, black, 6 to 12 seeded. 



" Bark of tree smooth, ashy ; trunk straight normally, but in Guam 

 often twisted out jf shape by hurricanes. Its wood is soft and white 

 and not very durable, but in Samoa the natives make small canoes 

 of it, and the Malayans hollow out the trunks into drums or tom-toms. 

 In Guam straight trunks of sufficient size for canoes are never found. 



" This tree is found in Java, the Philippines, and in many islands 

 of the Pacific. It is widely cultivated in the Tropics. Its introduc- 

 tion into Guam is comparatively recent; but the fruit-eating pigeons 

 are spreading it gradually over the island. The natives sometimes use 

 its flowers to perfume coconut oil. In Samoa it is very highly esteemed. 

 Its fringelike flowers are there strung into wreaths and garlands by 

 the natives, together with the drupes of Pandanus and the scarlet fruit 

 of Capsicum. 



" Ilang-ilang trees may be readily propagated either by cuttings or 

 seeds. These should be planted in orchards or groves 8 meters apart. 

 They thrive well on most tropical islands and in countries with moist, 

 warm climates. About the third year the flowers appear. They bloom 

 continuously, so that flowers and fruit may be always found on the 

 same tree. 



" From the flowers a pleasantly scented volatile oil is derived, known 

 in commerce as the oil of ilang-ilang. In the Philippines and the East 

 Indies this is sometimes adulterated with an oil extracted from the 

 flowers of ilichelia cliampaca. Ilang-ilang oil is obtained by steam dis- 

 tillation. In this process steam is generated in a small boiler and 

 passed into a closed vessel containing the flowers. The mixed water and 

 oil vapor as it leaves this vessel is condensed, and the oil separated from 

 the water by decantation. In the Philippines, German distillers have ob- 

 tained it in the ratio of about 25 grams from 5 kilometers of flowers 

 (0.5 per cent). It finds a ready market in Paris, Nice, and Grasse. and 

 is used also by perfumers in Loudon, Leipzig, Berlin, and Frankfort. 

 The best (luality of oil is perfectly clear and very fragrant. The second 

 quality is yellowish and turbid. A perfume is also derived from the 

 blossoms by the method known as enfleurage, as with jasmines and other 

 fragrant flowers. By this pnicess the fragrant oil is absorbed by refined 

 fats, butter, or oil spread over trays, on the surfaces of which the flowers 

 are sprinkled. These are changed at frequent intervals and the fat 

 ' worked ' so as to present a fresh surface each time the. new flowers are 

 laid upon it. Finally it is scraped off the tray, melted, strained, and 

 poured into jars in the form of a pomade. When oil is used in this 



