Jasmine (botanical name: Jasminum, pronounced )
The village of Shubra Beloula in Egypt grows most of the jasmine used by the global perfume industry.[ Shubra Beloula: The tiny Egyptian village few know]
Description
Jasmine can be either
deciduous or
evergreen, and can be erect, spreading, or climbing
and
. The leaves are borne in opposing or alternating arrangement and can be of simple, trifoliate, or pinnate formation.
The flowers are typically around in diameter. They are white or yellow, although in rare instances they can be slightly reddish. The flowers are borne in Inflorescence clusters with a minimum of three flowers, though they can also be solitary on the ends of branchlets. Each flower has about four to nine , two , and one to four . They have two with very short filaments. The are linear or ovate. The calyx is bell-shaped. They are usually very fragrant.[ A Modern Herbal]
The basic chromosome number of the genus is 13, and most species are diploid (2n=26). However, natural polyploidy exists, particularly in Jasminum sambac (triploid 3n=39), Jasminum flexile (tetraploid 4n=52), Jasminum mesnyi (triploid 3n=39), and Jasminum angustifolium (tetraploid 4n=52).
Distribution and habitat
Jasmines are native to
tropical and
subtropical regions of
Eurasia,
Africa,
Australasia within
Oceania, although only one of the 200 species is native to Europe.
[Townsend, C. C. and Evan Guest (1980). "Jasminum officinale," in Flora of Iraq, Vol. 4.1. Baghdad, pp. 513–519.][ Jasminum @ EFloras.org.] Their center of diversity is in
South Asia and
Southeast Asia.
Several jasmine species have become naturalized in Mediterranean Europe. For example, the so-called Spanish jasmine ( Jasminum grandiflorum) was originally from West Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Northeast Africa, and East Africa, and is now naturalized in the Iberian Peninsula.
Jasminum fluminense (which is sometimes known by the inaccurate name "Brazilian Jasmine") and Jasminum dichotomum (Gold Coast Jasmine) are invasive species in Hawaii and Florida.
Etymology
The name comes from Old French
jessemin, from
which is derived from the
Middle Persian word yāsaman and yāsamīn (يَاسَمِين) in
Arabic.
The word entered
Middle French around 1570 and was first used in English in 16th century England.
[ The Persian name is also the origin of the genus name, Jasminum.]
Taxonomy
Species belonging to the genus are classified under the tribe Jasmineae of the olive family (Oleaceae).
Species
Species include:
-
J. abyssinicum Hochst. ex DC. – forest jasmine
-
J. adenophyllum Wall. – bluegrape jasmine, pinwheel jasmine, princess jasmine
-
J. andamanicum N.P.Balakr. & N.G.Nair
-
J. angulare Vahl
-
J. angustifolium (L.) Willd.
-
J. auriculatum Vahl – Indian jasmine, needle-flower jasmine
-
J. azoricum L.
-
J. beesianum Forrest & Diels – red jasmine
-
J. dichotomum Vahl – Gold Coast jasmine
-
Jasminum didymum G.Forst.
-
J. dispermum Wall.
-
Jasminum elegans Knobl.
-
J. elongatum (P.J.Bergius) Willd.
-
J. floridum Bunge
-
J. fluminense Vell.
-
J. fruticans L.
-
J. grandiflorum L. – Catalan jasmine, jasmin odorant, royal jasmine, Spanish jasmine
-
Jasminum genie L.Vell.
-
Jasminum humile L. – Italian jasmine, Italian yellow jasmine
-
J. lanceolarium Roxb.
-
J. laurifolium Roxb. ex Hornem. angel-wing jasmine
-
J. malabaricum Wight
-
Jasminum mesnyi Hance – Japanese jasmine, primrose jasmine, yellow jasmine
-
J. multiflorum (Burm.f.) Andrews – Indian jasmine, star jasmine, winter jasmine
-
J. multipartitum Hochst. – starry wild jasmine
-
J. nervosum Lour.
-
Jasminum nobile C.B.Clarke
-
J. nudiflorum Lindl. – winter jasmine
-
J. odoratissimum L. – yellow jasmine
-
J. officinale L. – common jasmine, jasmine, jessamine, poet's jasmine, summer jasmine, white jasmine
-
Jasminum parkeri Dunn – dwarf jasmine
-
J. polyanthum Franch.
-
Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton – Arabian jasmine, Sambac jasmine
-
J. simplicifolium G.Forst.
-
Jasminum sinense Hemsl.
-
J. subhumile W.W.Sm.
-
J. tortuosum Willd.
-
J. urophyllum Hemsl.
-
J. volubile Jacq..
File: Jasminum sambac 'Grand Duke of Tuscany'.jpg| Jasminum sambac "Grand Duke of Tuscany"
File:Jsambac.jpg|A double-flowered cultivar of Jasminum sambac in flower with an unopened bud.
File: Jasmine Bud.jpg|Jasmine buds
File: Jasmine lifecycle.jpg|Lifecycle of Arabian jasmine flower
File: Bunch of jasmine flowers.jpg|Jasmine flowers
Jasmonates
Jasmine lends its name to jasmonate plant hormones, as methyl jasmonate isolated from the oil of Jasminum grandiflorum led to the discovery of the molecular structure of .
Cultural importance
Jasmine is cultivated commercially for domestic and industrial uses, such as the perfume industry.
A change in presidency in Tunisia in 1987
"Jasmine" is a common female given name.
File:Tea patterns p1160028.jpg|surface of Jasmine tea
File:Chinesischer Maler des 12. Jahrhunderts (I) 001.jpg| The White Jasmine Branch, painting of ink and color on silk by Chinese artist Zhao Chang, early 12th century
File:Meenakshi Sundareswarar.jpg|Jasmine used as garland
File:Jasmine Flower full bloom on the plant near Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. 01.jpg|Jasmine flower blooming
File:Photo Jasmine flowers harvest 1965 - Touring Club Italiano 1.2940.jpg|Jasmine flowers harvest in Reggio Calabria, Italy (1965)
Symbolism
Several countries and states consider jasmine as a national symbol.
Other plants called "jasmine"
-
Brazilian jasmine Mandevilla sanderi
-
Cape jasmine Gardenia
-
Carolina jasmine Gelsemium sempervirens
-
Crape jasmine Tabernaemontana divaricata
-
Chilean jasmine Mandevilla laxa
-
Jasmine rice, a type of long-grain rice
-
Madagascar jasmine Stephanotis floribunda
-
New Zealand jasmine Parsonsia capsularis
-
Night-blooming jasmine Cestrum nocturnum
-
Night-flowering jasmine Nyctanthes arbor-tristis
-
Orange jasmine Murraya paniculata
-
Red jasmine Plumeria rubra
-
Star jasmine, Confederate jasmine Trachelospermum jasminoides
-
Tree jasmine (disambiguation)
Further reading
External links
