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''Tabernaemontana divaricata'', commonly called pinwheel flower, crape jasmine, East India rosebay, and Nero's crown, is an
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 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 other
genera 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'' and '' Nerium''. Both single and double-flowered 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. 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


Phytochemistry

The species is known to produce many alkaloids 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, 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 may occur in multiple '' Tabernaemontana'' species.


See also

* Tabernaemontana sananho


References


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