A tropical tree native to the Philippines that produces fragrant flowers, often used to make ylang-ylang oil and perfume.
From Malay or Tagalog origin (cananga or ilang-ilang), reflecting Southeast Asian botanical knowledge. The word followed colonial trade routes for perfume and spice commerce.
Cananga is a perfect example of how botanical names preserve language history—it's the Malay name for a tree whose fragrant flowers became a luxury perfume industry, traveling from Manila to Paris.
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