General Information

COMMON NAMES: Perfume Tree, Ylang-ylang [Malesia], Ilang-ilang; German Ylang-ylang; French Ylang-ylang TRADITIONAL NAMES: Mata‘oi (RR MK MT AK), Moto‘oi (MG), Motoī (AT); Other Polynesian - Mohokoi (TON), Moso‘oi (SAM), Moto‘oi (HAW), Mokosoi/Mokasoi/Mokohoi (FIJ) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE se.Asia - Malesia / n.Australia - Solomons; EXOTIC EXOTIC incl Fiji - Marquesas (ancient) COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Polynesian, Naturalised; Land, lowlands - mountains (+) (mid-elev.) SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Locally endangeredMedicine, Ornamental flowers; Invasive - moderate KEY FEATURES: A tree to 20m. LEAVES: along the branches, alternate, green, pale middle vein, long oval, tip pointed, to 30cm. FLOWERS: arising at leaf bases, greenish-yellow, strongly scented, petals long and twisted, to 6cm. FRUIT: leaf bases, clusters, small ovoid, to 20mm. SIMILAR SPECIES: None.

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+	+	+	+	+	++	-	-	-

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Cananga odorata (Lam.)
SYNONYMS: Canangium odoratum

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); MAGNOLIIDAE; Magnoliales; ANNONACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
BIODIVERSITY: Locally endangered. Comment: Rare in inland forests and rare in culivation. NBSAP - Mitiaro (4= of 6 domestic plants), NBSAP - Atiu (4 of 5 wild)
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Medicine, Ornamental flowers. Comments: Flowers are used to scent Coconut oil, and for making ‘Ei (garlands). Timber is sometimes used for posts and house parts, it is very light and soft; cannot be nailed though glues well; and is apparently not attacked by borer.
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Invasive - moderate

GENERAL NOTE: Introduction - recent or Polynesian? Cheeseman (1899) concluded it was Polynesian Introduced on Rarotonga, as did Setchell in 1924 for Samoa. The traditional names support an ancient introduction: Makosoi / mokohoi (Fiji - plus other cognates), Mosokoi (Futuna) Mohokoi (Tonga), Moso‘io (Samoa) and Mata‘oi / Moto‘oi / Motoī (S.Cooks). A.C.Smith (Flora Vitiensis Nova) has the Perfume Tree as native to the Solomons, and an aboriginal introduction to Fiji and eastward. Mature greenish-yellow flowers are strongly scented, especially in the morning. The fruits are popular food for fruit-doves and pigeons.

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.357 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.216 Hortus 3rd
p.202 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.72 Tropica
p.2/037 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.271 A Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.51 * Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.377b Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

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