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''Tabernaemontana divaricata'', commonly called pinwheel flower, crape jasmine, East India rosebay, and Nero's crown, is an 
File:IPinwheel flower in Bangladesh.jpg, A pair of flowers
File:Tabernaemontana divaricata by kadavoor.jpg, ''Tabernaemontana divaricata'' 'Flore Pleno'
File:Crape jasmine bunch.jpg, Crape jasmine bunch
File:Tabernaemontana divaricata at Aanakkulam.jpg, ''Tabernaemontana divaricata'' 'Pinwheel'
File:Crepe Jasmine flower yet to blossom.jpg, ''Tabernaemontana divarcata'' yet to blossom
File:OHM caterpillar.jpg, Caterpillar of Oleander hawk-moth feeding on pinwheel flower plant
File:Flower bud of crape jasmine (Tabernaemontana divaricata).jpg, Flower buds of crape jasmine at night
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 ...
shrub or small tree native to South Asia, Southeast Asia and China. In zones where it is not hardy it is grown as a house/glasshouse plant for its attractive flowers and foliage. The stem
Stem or STEM most commonly refers to:
* Plant stem, a structural axis of a vascular plant
* Stem group
* Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
Stem or STEM can also refer to:
Language and writing
* Word stem, part of a word respon ...
exudes a milky latex when broken, whence comes the name milk flower
Description
The plant generally grows to a height of and is dichotomously branched. The large shiny leaves are deep green and about in length and in width. The waxy blossoms are found in small clusters on the stem tips. The (single) flowers have the characteristic 'pinwheel' shape also seen in othergenera
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
in the family Apocynaceae such as ''Vinca
''Vinca'' (; Latin: ''vincire'' "to bind, fetter") is an Old World genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, The English name periwinkle is shared with the related genus '' Catharanthus'' (and with the mollusc '' Littorina littorea'') ...
'' and ''Nerium
''Nerium oleander'' ( ), commonly known as oleander or rosebay, is a shrub or small tree cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical areas as an ornamental and landscaping plant. It is the only species currently classified in the genus ...
''. Both single and double-flowered
"Double-flowered" describes varieties of flowers with extra petals, often containing flowers within flowers. The double-flowered trait is often noted alongside the scientific name with the abbreviation ''fl. pl.'' (''flore pleno'', a Latin ablati ...
forms are cultivated, the flowers of both forms being white. The plant blooms in spring but flowers appear sporadically all year. The flowers have a pleasing fragrance. More than 66 alkaloid
Alkaloids are a broad class of natural product, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids.
Alkaloids are produced by a large varie ...
s are found in the shrub. Its habitats include montane brushwoods and sparse forests.
Phytochemistry
The species is known to produce manyalkaloids
Alkaloids are a broad class of naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids.
Alkaloids are produced by a large variety of organisms i ...
including catharanthine
Catharanthine is a terpene indole alkaloid produced by the medicinal plant '' Catharanthus roseus'' and '' Tabernaemontana divaricata''. Catharanthine is derived from strictosidine, but the exact mechanism by which this happens is currently unkn ...
, conolidine, coronaridine
Coronaridine, also known as 18-carbomethoxyibogamine, is an alkaloid found in '' Tabernanthe iboga'' and related species, including '' Tabernaemontana divaricata'' for which (under the now obsolete synonym ''Ervatamia coronaria'') it was named.
...
, dregamine, ibogamine
Ibogamine is an anti-convulsant, anti-addictive, CNS stimulant alkaloid found in '' Tabernanthe iboga'' and Crepe Jasmine ('' Tabernaemontana divaricata''). Basic research related to how addiction affects the brain has used this chemical.
Iboga ...
, tabersonine
Tabersonine is a terpene indole alkaloid found in the medicinal plant '' Catharanthus roseus'' and also in the genus Voacanga (both taxa belonging to the alkaloid-rich family Apocynaceae). Tabersonine is hydroxylated at the 16 position by the en ...
, voacangine, voacamine and voacristine
Voacristine is a indole alkaloid occurring in '' Voacanga'' and '' Tabernaemontana'' genus. It is also an iboga type alkaloid.
Chemistry
Its structure is almost similar to voacangine, an alkaloid used in semi-synthesis of ibogaine. Compared ...
. Ibogaine
Ibogaine is a psychoactive indole alkaloid derived from plants such as '' Tabernanthe iboga'', characterized by hallucinogenic and oneirogenic effects. Traditionally used by Central African foragers, it has undergone controversial research ...
may occur in multiple ''Tabernaemontana
''Tabernaemontana'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae. It has a pan-tropical distribution, found in Asia, Africa, Australia, North America, South America, and islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. These plants are everg ...
'' species.
See also
* Tabernaemontana sananhoReferences
External links
* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q45150 divaricata Flora of the Indian subcontinent Flora of Indo-China Flora of China Garden plants of Asia House plants Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus