''Jasminum polyanthum'' (), the many-flowered jasmine or pink jasmine, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

in the olive

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Oleaceae, native to China and

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

. A strong evergreen twining climber, it is especially noted for its abundant, highly fragrant pink to white flowers.

Name

The Latin

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''polyanthum'' means "many-flowered".

Description

When supported, the plant can grow up to in height. The compound leaves with 5 to 9 leaflets are dark green on the upper surface and a lighter green beneath, with glabrous,

terete Terete is a term in botany Botany, also called plant science (or plant sciences), plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises ...

or angular branches. The terminal leaflet is noticeably larger than the other leaflets.

Inflorescence

The species is

heterostylous Heterostyly is a unique form of polymorphism and herkogamy in flowers. In a heterostylous species, two or three morphological types of flowers, termed "morphs", exist in the population. On each individual plant, all flowers share the same morph ...

, meaning that a few distinct flower morphs (forms) are available, though each plant bears only one morph. In late winter and early spring it produces an abundance of reddish-pink flower buds, followed by fragrant five-petalled starry white flowers which are about 2 cm ( inch) in diameter. The bracts are

subulate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...

(tapering to a point), 1-6 mm. Each flower is carried by a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

(single stalk) of 0.5 - 2.5cm ( - 1 inch) The

calyx Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to: Biology * Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...

forms a 1-2 mm tube terminating in 5 triangular or subulate-linear lobes, only 2 mm long, and a

corolla Corolla may refer to: *Corolla (botany), the petals of a flower, considered as a unit *Toyota Corolla, an automobile model name * Corolla (headgear), an ancient headdress in the form of a circlet or crown * ''Corolla'' (gastropod), a genus of moll ...

, white, with a red underside and red buttons. The fruit is a black, globular berry.

Distribution

The plant is native to the mountainous areas of

Southwest China Southwest China () is a region in the south of the People's Republic of China. Geography Southwest China is a rugged and mountainous region, transitioning between the Tibetan Plateau to the west and the Chinese coastal hills (东南丘陵) and ...

, particularly

Guizhou Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to t ...

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of th ...

and

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the ...

, as well as

. It lives in valleys and forests at elevations between .

Cultivation

''Jasminum polyanthum'' is well known as a house plant in the US and Europe. It grows fast and easily, and flowers well.See for instanc
''Jasminum polyanthum'' in Floridata.com
/ref> It can also grow in the garden, when climate conditions are good; but it cannot tolerate freezing temperatures (

USDA hardiness zones A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

: 8 - 11). Outside it can be used to cover walls and fences etc., in suitable climates, in sun or light shade. It is propagated by seed and by suckers. ''Jasminum polyanthum'' was given the

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

(AGM) by the RHS in 1993. It was chosen on the Bicentenary list of 200 plants for the RHS: “This popular houseplant is an easily-grown, evergreen, half-hardy climber with loose panicles in summer of many strongly-fragrant pink-backed, white, trumpet-shaped flowers. It does not suffer pest or disease problems and is simple to propagate.”

Invasive species

''Jasminum polyanthum'' is naturalized in Australia''Jasminum polyanthum'' in Australia
/ref> and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

.Information on ''Jasminum polyanthum'' on NZPCN (New Zealand Plant Conservation Network)
/ref> It can be regarded as an invasive species in these regions.e.g
''Jasminum polyanthum'' on the Weeds of Blue Mountains Bushland website (Australia)
an
information on ''Jasminum polyanthum'' from the Auckland Regional Council (New Zealand)
/ref> This species of jasmine spreads rapidly as it can grow from any small section of stem material. The stems layer profusely and runners spread long distances. It is highly shade tolerant and can flower under a full canopy. It forms dense ground cover, preventing the growth of native seedlings, and smothers all other vegetation up to mid-canopy level. Spread into established forest, for instance in New Zealand, is rapid. It can be controlled by cutting the stem and branches and applying herbicides to the cut surfaces. Chemical control of ground cover is advised.Department of Conservation (NZ) 2005, p. 134f.

Gallery

(MHNT) Jasminum polyanthum - flower buds HD.jpg, Pink jasmine bush.jpg, Pink jasmine leaf 7.jpg,

References

External links

at www.esveld.nl
Weeds of Blue Mountains Bushland (Australia): ''Jasminum polyanthum''

''Jasminum polyanthum''
as a New Zealand weed
''Jasminum polyanthum''
in NZPCN (New Zealand Plant Conservation Network) {{Taxonbar, from=Q282635 polyanthum Plants described in 1891 Flora of Myanmar Flora of China Garden plants of Asia