Ecology Its clusters of black fruit are an important food item for birds, such as the collared imperial pigeon, purple-tailed imperial pigeon, Zoe's imperial pigeon, superb fruit dove, pink-spotted fruit dove, coroneted fruit dove, orange-bellied fruit dove, and wompoo fruit dove. Sulawesi red-knobbed hornbill serves as an effective seed disperser for C. odorata. Uses The essential oil is used in aromatherapy. It is believed to relieve high blood pressure and normalize sebum secretion for skin problems, and is considered to be an aphrodisiac. The oil from ylang-ylang is widely used in perfumery for oriental- or floral-themed perfumes (such as Chanel No. 5). Ylang-ylang blends well with most floral, fruit, and wood scents. In Indonesia, ylang-ylang flowers are spread on the bed of newlywed couples. In the Philippines, its flowers, together with the flowers of the sampaguita, are strung into a necklace (lei) and worn by women and used to adorn religious images. Ylang-ylang's essential oil makes up 29% of the Comoros' annual export (1998). Ylang-ylang is grown in Madagascar and exported globally for its essential oils. Ylang-ylang essential oil is one of the basic ingredients of macassar oil. Ylang-ylang essential oil Characteristics The fragrance of ylang-ylang is rich and deep with notes of rubber and custard, and bright with hints of jasmine and neroli, thus it is sometimes described as heavy, sweet, and carries a slightly fruity floral scent. The essential oil of the flower is obtained through steam distillation of the flowers and separated into different grades (extra, 1, 2, or 3) according to when the distillates are obtained. The main aromatic components of ylang-ylang oil are benzyl acetate, linalool, p-cresyl methyl ether, and methyl benzoate, responsible for its characteristic odor. Chemical constituents Typical chemical compositions of the various grades of ylang-ylang essential oil are reported as: Linalool Germacrene Geranyl acetate Caryophyllene p-Cresyl methyl ether Methyl benzoate Sesquiterpenes See also Jasminum sambac, the Arabian jasmine, another plant widely used in perfumes References Further reading Elevitch, Craig (ed.) (2006): Traditional Trees of Pacific Islands: Their Culture, Environment and Use. Permanent Agricultural Resources Publishers, Honolulu. Manner, Harley & Elevitch, Craig (ed.) (2006): Traditional Tree Initiative: Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry. Permanent Agricultural Resources Publishers, Honolulu. Davis, Patricia (2000): "Aromatherapy An A-Z". Vermilion:Ebury Publishing, London. External links Ylang ylang uses in perfumery Annonaceae Medicinal plants of Asia Essential oils Flora of tropical Asia Flora of Queensland Trees of the Philippines