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

Tree

Cananga species are tall trees. Bark brown, sometimes with white patches, thin, fissured. Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate, glabrous above and minutely pubescent beneath. Flowers bisexual, fragrant, solitary or in fascicles on short axillary peduncles, Sepals 3, ovate or triangular, Petals 6 valvate, flat strap shaped, in two whorls, outer petals usually larger than the inner petals, much larger than the sepals, yellow, several veined. Stamens many, linear, about 3 mm long, anthers thecae extorse, connectives near the acute end. Carpels many, oblong, ovules many, style linear and slender, stigma subcapitate. Ripe carpels or fruit, oblong, sessile or stalked and pulpy. Seeds many in 2 rows, pitted.

Cananga species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Flowering/Fruiting: June-July/October-November.

Seeds dispersed by barochory i.e., gravitational dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Trees about 10-15 m tall. Bark dark brown, fissured and fibrous, young branches minutely pubescent, glabrescent when mature. Leaves simple, alternate, ovate-lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or broadly elliptic, 10-24 x 4-9 cm across, slightly asymmetrical, base obtuse or rounded, margin entire, apex acute or shallow acuminate, coriaceous, dark green, glabrous above, paler pubescent on midrib and veins beneath, lateral veins 7-13 on either side of the midrib, almost parallel, impressed above, prominent on the veins and more prominent on the midrib beneath, reticulate veinlets fine and close, petiole pubescent, about 1-1.5 cm long. Flowers bisexual, fragrant, Inflorescence axillary and old branches, few to several in pedunculate racemes, peduncles woody about 1.5-2 cm long, pedicels stout, pubescent, about 2.5-5 cm long, bracts at the base, deciduous, triangular, pubescent, about 1-2 mm long, Sepals 3, valvate in bud, joined near the base, ovate or somewhat triangular, apex acute, pubescent, about 5-7 x 4-5 mm across. Petals 6, subequal, linear lanceolate, apex acute, light green when young and yellow when mature, finely veined, silky when young, minutely pubescent when mature, about 5-7 x 4-5 cm across. Stamens numerous, oblong, closely packed, about 3 mm long, connectives appendages above. Carpels many linear oblong, puberulous, about 3-4 mm long, style slender, stigma subcapitate. Ripe carpels 10-12, broadly globose or ovoid in fruit, blunt on the top, about 1-2.5 cm in diameter, green, black when ripe, pulpy, stalk about 1.5-2 cm long, Seeds 2-12, in two rows, brown and pitted.

Susceptible to insect pests and moulds.

Notes: Cultivated

Evergreen forests

Cultivated in gardens and naturalized.

The essential oil extracted from this tree is used in aromatherapy, soaps, cosmetics, medicine for skin problems, high blood pressure and aphrodisiac. Leaves are edible and used as fodder.