Jasmine (

botanical name A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the ''International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants'' (ICN) and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar or cultivar group, Group epithets must conform t ...

: ''Jasminum'', pronounced ) is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s and

vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

s in the

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

family of

Oleaceae Oleaceae, also known as the olive family or sometimes the lilac family, is a taxonomic family of flowering shrubs, trees, and a few lianas in the order Lamiales. It presently comprises 28 genera, one of which is recently extinct.Peter S. Gree ...

. It contains around 200 species native to

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

and warm

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...

regions of

Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, and

Oceania Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...

. Jasmines are widely cultivated for the characteristic fragrance of their flowers. The village of Shubra Beloula in Egypt grows most of the jasmine used by the global perfume industry.

Description

Jasmine can be either

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

, and can be erect, spreading, or climbing

s and

s. 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

cymose In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a main axis ( p ...

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

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s, two

locule A locule (: locules) or loculus (; : loculi) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usually refers to a chamber within an ovary ...

s, and one to four

ovule In seed plants, the ovule is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells. It consists of three parts: the ''integument'', forming its outer layer, the ''nucellus'' (or remnant of the sporangium, megasporangium), ...

s. They have two

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s with very short filaments. The

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

s are linear or ovate. The

calyx CALYX, Inc. is a non-profit publisher of art and literature by women founded in 1976 based in Corvallis, Oregon. CALYX publishes both '' CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women'' twice a year and CALYX Books, which publishes one to three ...

is bell-shaped. They are usually very fragrant. The basic

chromosome A chromosome is a package of DNA containing part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes, the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with nucleosome-forming packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells, the most import ...

number of the genus is 13, and most species are

diploid Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Here ''sets of chromosomes'' refers to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, ...

(2n=26). However, natural

polyploidy Polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than two paired sets of ( homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have nuclei (eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they have two complete sets of chromosomes, one fro ...

exists, particularly in ''

Jasminum sambac ''Jasminum sambac'' (Arabian jasmine or Sambac jasmine) is a species of jasmine native to Bhutan and India. It is cultivated in many places, especially West Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is naturalised in many scattered locales: Mauri ...

'' (triploid 3n=39), ''

Jasminum flexile Jasmine (botanical name: ''Jasminum'', pronounced ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family of Oleaceae. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are wid ...

'' (tetraploid 4n=52), ''

Jasminum mesnyi ''Jasminum mesnyi'', the primrose jasmine or Japanese jasmine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Oleaceae, native to Vietnam and southern China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan). ''Jasminum mesnyi'' has gained the Royal Horticultural Soci ...

'' (triploid 3n=39), and '' Jasminum angustifolium'' (tetraploid 4n=52).

Distribution and habitat

Jasmines are native to

and

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

regions of

Australasia Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...

within

, 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. Their

center of diversity A Vavilov center or center of origin is a geographical area where a group of organisms, either domesticated or wild, first developed its distinctive properties. Centers of origin were first identified in 1924 by Nikolai Vavilov. Vavilov posite ...

is in

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

. Several jasmine species have become

naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the ...

Mediterranean Europe Southern Europe is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, C ...

. For example, the so-called Spanish jasmine (''

Jasminum grandiflorum ''Jasminum grandiflorum'', also known variously as the Spanish jasmine, Royal jasmine, Catalan jasmine, Sicilian jasmine, is a species of jasmine native to South Asia, the Arabian peninsula, East and Northeast Africa and the Yunnan and Sichuan re ...

'') was originally from

West Asia West Asia (also called Western Asia or Southwest Asia) is the westernmost region of Asia. As defined by most academics, UN bodies and other institutions, the subregion consists of Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenian ...

, the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

Northeast Africa Northeast Africa, or Northeastern Africa, or Northern East Africa as it was known in the past, encompasses the countries of Africa situated in and around the Red Sea. The region is intermediate between North Africa and East Africa, and encompasses ...

, and

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

, and is now naturalized in the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

. '' Jasminum fluminense'' (which is sometimes known by the inaccurate name "Brazilian Jasmine") and ''

Jasminum dichotomum Jasmine (botanical name: ''Jasminum'', pronounced ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family of Oleaceae. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are wide ...

'' (Gold Coast Jasmine) are

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

and Florida. ''Jasminum polyanthum'', also known as pink jasmine, is an invasive species, invasive weed in Australia.

Etymology

The name comes from Old French ''jessemin'', from which is derived from the Middle Persian word and () 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

are classified under the tribe Jasmineae of the olive family (

). ''Jasminum'' is divided into five section (botany), sections—''Alternifolia'', ''Jasminum'', ''Primulina'', ''Trifoliolata'', and ''Unifoliolata''. Jasmine Rose photo

Species

Species include: * ''Jasminum abyssinicum, J. abyssinicum'' Hochst. ex DC. – forest jasmine * ''Jasminum adenophyllum, J. adenophyllum'' Wall. – bluegrape jasmine, pinwheel jasmine, princess jasmine * ''Jasminum andamanicum, J. andamanicum'' N.P.Balakr. & N.G.Nair * ''Jasminum angulare, J. angulare'' Vahl * ''Jasminum angustifolium, J. angustifolium'' (L.) Willd. * ''Jasminum auriculatum, J. auriculatum'' Vahl – Indian jasmine, needle-flower jasmine * ''Jasminum azoricum, J. azoricum'' L. * ''Jasminum beesianum, J. beesianum'' Forrest & Diels – red jasmine * ''Jasminum dichotomum, J. dichotomum'' Vahl – Gold Coast jasmine * ''Jasminum didymum, J. didymum'' G.Forst. * ''Jasminum dispermum, J. dispermum'' Wall. * ''Jasminum elegans, J. elegans'' Knobl. * ''Jasminum elongatum, J. elongatum'' (P.J.Bergius) Willd. * ''Jasminum floridum, J. floridum'' Bunge * ''Jasminum fluminense, J. fluminense'' Vell. * ''Jasminum fruticans, J. fruticans'' L. * ''Jasminum grandiflorum, J. grandiflorum'' L. – Catalan jasmine, jasmin odorant, royal jasmine, Spanish jasmine * ''Jasminum genie, J. grandiflorum'' L.Vell. * ''Jasminum humile, J. humile'' L. – Italian jasmine, Italian yellow jasmine * ''Jasminum lanceolarium, J. lanceolarium'' Roxb. * ''Jasminum laurifolium, J. laurifolium'' Roxb. ex Hornem. angel-wing jasmine * ''Jasminum malabaricum, J. malabaricum'' Wight * ''Jasminum mesnyi, J. mesnyi'' Hance – Japanese jasmine, primrose jasmine, yellow jasmine * ''Jasminum multiflorum, J. multiflorum'' (Burm.f.) Andrews – Indian jasmine, star jasmine, winter jasmine * ''Jasminum multipartitum, J. multipartitum'' Hochst. – starry wild jasmine * ''Jasminum nervosum, J. nervosum'' Lour. * ''Jasminum nobile, J. nobile'' C.B.Clarke * ''Jasminum nudiflorum, J. nudiflorum'' Lindl. – winter jasmine * ''Jasminum odoratissimum, J. odoratissimum'' L. – yellow jasmine * ''Jasminum officinale, J. officinale'' L. – common jasmine, jasmine, jessamine, poet's jasmine, summer jasmine, white jasmine * ''Jasminum parkeri, J. parkeri'' Dunn – dwarf jasmine * ''Jasminum polyanthum, J. polyanthum'' Franch. * ''Jasminum sambac, J. sambac'' (L.) Aiton – Arabian jasmine, Sambac jasmine * ''Jasminum simplicifolium, J. simplicifolium'' G.Forst. * ''Jasminum sinense, J. sinense'' Hemsl. * ''Jasminum subhumile, J. subhumile'' W.W.Sm. * ''Jasminum tortuosum, J. tortuosum'' Willd. * ''Jasminum urophyllum, J. urophyllum'' Hemsl. * ''Jasminum volubile, J. volubile'' Jacq.. File: Jasminum sambac 'Grand Duke of Tuscany'.jpg, ''

'' "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 ''

'' led to the discovery of the molecular structure of jasmonates. Jasmonates occur ubiquitously across the plant kingdom, having key roles in responses to environmental cues, such as heat or cold stress, and participate in the signal transduction pathways of many plants.

Cultural importance

Jasmine is cultivated commercially for domestic and industrial uses, such as the perfume industry. It is used in rituals like marriages, religious ceremonies, and festivals. Jasmine flower vendors sell garlands of jasmine, or in the case of the thicker ''motiyaa'' (in Hindi) or ''mograa'' (in Marathi) varieties, bunches of jasmine are common. They may be found around entrances to temples, on major thoroughfares, and in major business areas. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali#Rise to the presidency, A change in presidency in Tunisia in 1987 and the Tunisian Revolution of 2011 are both called "Jasmine Revolution (disambiguation), Jasmine revolutions" in reference to the flower. "Jasmine (given name), 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. * Syria: The Syrian city Damascus is called the City of Jasmine. *

: ''

'' ("''pikake''") is a common flower used in lei (garland), leis and is the subject of many Hawaiian songs. * Indonesia: ''

'' is the national flower, adopted in 1990. It goes by the name "''melati putih''" and is used in wedding ceremonies for ethnic Indonesians, especially on the island of Java. * Pakistan: ''Jasminum officinale'' is known as the "''chambeli''" or "''yasmin''", it is the National symbols of Pakistan, national flower. * Philippines: ''

'' is the national flower. Adopted in 1935, it is known as "''sampaguita''" in the islands. It is usually strung in garlands which are then used to adorn religious images. * Thailand: Jasmine flowers are used as a symbol of motherhood. * Tunisia: The national flower of Tunisia is jasmine. It was chosen as a symbol for the Tunisian Revolution.

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)

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control Jasminum, Flora of Samoa Garden plants Incense material Oleaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus