The Ylang-Ylang Flower

This regular definitive issue displays a detailed botanical study by P. Lambert illustrating a mature star-shaped flower and long drooping petals of the Ylang-Ylang tree (Cananga odorata), growing directly from a woody branch lined with broad green leaves. Historically, this stamp celebrates the archipelago's famous global moniker as the "Perfume Islands" (Les Îles Parfums), resulting from the massive commercial cultivation of this highly aromatic tropical species. The essential oils extracted from Comorian ylang-ylang blooms served as a foundational raw material for the luxury French haute-parfumerie industry in Grasse throughout the 20th century. This issue permanently archives the botanical assets and intensive agro-industrial distillation heritage that defined the territory's economic identity within the French Republic.