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STORIES

Crape jasmine

Crape jasmine

Tabernaemontana divaricata (Apocynaceae)

Characteristics

Evergreen shrub, up to 2 m tall. Dichotomously branched. Stem excludes a milky latex when broken. Leaves large, shony, deep green, 15 cm long, 5 cm wide. Flowers white, waxy, in small clusters on the stem tips. The flowers have the characteristic “pinwheel” shape also seen in other genera in the family Apocynaceae. The leaves of this plant are eaten by the caterpillars of the oleander hawk-moth (Daphnis nerii).

Distribution

Native to India and now cultivated throughout Southeast Asia, the warmer regions of continental Asia and Pacific Islands. In some areas, it is even grown as a house plant for its attractive flowers and foliage.

Natural Medical Properties

No known.

Did you know?

The plant contains several alkaloids and is toxic and medicinal (like many other plants in the family Apocynaceae).

Further reading:

Literature

World Flora Online
WorldChecklist of Selected Plant Families
A working list of all plant species

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