Abstract: In order to find the odor characteristic of the essential oils from Cananga odorata and its three varieties were studied, one of them have been collected from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China, the others introduced from Thailand and Laos and cultivated in Xishuangbanna. The chemical components of three Yilan-Yilan oils were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively by means of capillary GC/MS/DS on Finnigan-4510, and 44 different constituents were identified. As the analysed result, the odor of Yilan-Yilan oils was related to the varieties and contents of the esters, alcohols and phenolic ethers. The more sesquiterpenes and its alcohols a Yilan-Yilan oil contains, the worse its odor is. The essential oil obtained from the flowers that changed colour from green to yellow was better than the essential oils obtained from the green flowers and the flower buds.

Key words: Cananga odorata