Posted by punnya on May 18, 2013, 4:54 p.m.
| Jasmine | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Jasminum sambac 'Grand Duke of Tuscany' | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Oleaceae |
| Tribe: | Jasmineae |
| Genus: | Jasminum L. |
| Type species | |
| Jasminum officinale L. | |
| Species | |
More than 200, see List of Jasminumspecies[1][2][3] | |
| Synonyms[4] | |
| |
Jasmine (taxonomic name Jasminum (/?d?æzm?n?m/))[5] is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family (Oleaceae). It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World. Jasmines are widely cultivated for the characteristic fragrance of their flowers.
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Description [edit]
Jasmines can be either deciduous (leaves falling in autumn) or evergreen (green all year round), and can be erect, spreading, or climbing shrubs and vines. Their leaves are borne opposite or alternate. They can be simple, trifoliate, or pinnate. The flowers are typically around 2.5 cm (0.98 in) in diameter. They are white or yellow in color, although in rare instances they can be slightly reddish. The flowers are borne in cymose 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 petals, two locules, and one to four ovules. They have two stamens with very short filaments. The bracts are linear or ovate. The calyx is bell-shaped. They are usually very fragrant. The fruits of jasmines are berriesthat turn black when ripe.[6][7]
The basic chromosome number of the genus is 13, and most species are diploid (2n=26). However, natural polyploidy exists, particularly in Jasminum sambac (2n=39), Jasminum flexile (2n=52), Jasminum primulinum (2n=39), and Jasminum angustifolium(2n=52).[6]
Distribution and habitat [edit]
Jasmines are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and Australasia.[8] Of the 200 species, only one is native to Europe.[9] Their center of diversity is in South Asia and Southeast Asia.[7]
Although not native to Europe, a number of jasmine species have become naturalized in Mediterranean Europe. For example, the so-called Spanish jasmine or Catalonian jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum) was originally from Iran and western South Asia, and is now naturalized in the Iberian peninsula.[6]
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.[10][11] Jasminum polyanthum, also known as White Jasmine, is an invasive weed in Australia.[12]
Taxonomy [edit]
Species belonging to genus Jasminum are classified under the tribe Jasmineae of the olive family (Oleaceae).[6] Jasminum is divided into five sections—Alternifolia, Jasminum,Primulina, Trifoliolata, and Unifoliolata.[4]
The genus name is derived from the Persian Yasameen ("gift from God") through Arabic and Latin.[13][14][15]
