Michelia champaca L. (Magnoliaceae) commonly known as Champa wild in the eastern sub-Himalayan tract and lower hills up to 3,000 ft. and found in Assam, Burma, South India. The plant is a handsome, evergreen shrub. Leaves 15- 25 by 5-9 cm., lanceolate, acute, entire, glabrous; petioles 18-25mm long. Flowers about 5-6.2 cm. diameter, very fragrant, greyish yellow pubescent. Sepals and petals 15 or more deep yellow or orange. Grey or brownish bark. Seeds 1-12, brown, polished, variously angled, rounded on the back. It is native to the Philippines and the Indonesian islands, now also grows in place far west of its origin-India, southeast china, reunion, and Madagascar; the flowers are a beautiful deep orange-yellow borne on a medium-sized slender tree related to the magnolias. 4 in many areas where it thrives, the flowers are used for ornamental purposes and for worship in temples. It is a woody tree species, which has high economic value as basic material for medicinal and fragrance products. Flowers in general, and champaca, benefits from CO2 extraction for an important reason; numerous monoterpene hydrocarbons detected in the essential oil are not found in the CO2 extract and appear as artifacts or decomposition products during distillation. The CO2 extract of champaca is free of solvent residue, contains far less waxes, is chemically superior to a distillate, and has a closer fragrance profile to the fresh flowers.

Champaca is regarded as one of the most sacred trees of India and tropical Asia. Its flowers exude a divine fragrance that is exceedingly pleasing to the Gods and to the women. Thus it is often grown in temple gardens as well as near dwellings, so the sweet smelling flowers can bring joy to all who pass nearby. Indeed, the most costly perfume in the world, a fragrance known as â''Joyâ'', which was created for the famous French fashion house Jean Patou in 1930, contains the essence of these flowers. In India, the flowers are used for decoration and their alluring scent is employed as a natural aphrodisiac perfume. All parts of the tree are considered medicinal and are utilized in various remedies. Note: Occasionally Champaca is confused with Champaca wood oil, which does not derive from the same tree, but is an alternative name for the South American Guaiacum tree.