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Flower of flowers: Ylang-ylang
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YLANG-YLANG (香水树，又名依兰香) (also spelled ilang-ilang) is also called perfume tree.
Ylang-ylang is a South Asian tree of the custard apple family (番荔枝属), in the order Magnoliales （木兰科）. A penetrating (强烈的) but evanescent (短暂的) perfume is distilled from its flowers.
Ylang-ylang in Tagalog (a Philippine language) means "flower of flowers". The slim, smooth-barked (光滑的树皮) evergreen reaches about 25 m and is covered year-round with drooping (下垂的), long-stalked (叶梗), rich-scented flowers that have six narrow, greenish-yellow petals 80 feet (five cm) long. The alternate (交替生长), pointed（尖的）oval leaves have wavy margins (边缘) and are five to eight inches (13 to 20 cm) long. The clustered (成簇的), oval black fruits hang from long stalks. The perfume is steam-distilled from the flowers.
Ylang-ylang vine produces masses of small, greenish-white flowers in spring and clustered, long-stalked, yellow, plumlike, two-seeded fruits in fall.
It is not a source of commercial perfume. A 6.5- to 11.5-foot (2- to 3.5-metre) woody climber, it supports itself by hooks formed at the middle of the flower (and later fruit) stalks.
Evergreen glossy (光滑的) leaves and fragrant flowers and fruits make it a valuable and trellis (凉棚) or patio (庭院) vine in areas of warm, moist climate.
(SD-Agencies)
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