Cestrum Nocturnum Click on Images to Enlarge
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Species information Abo ut Reso urces Hom e A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Cestrum nocturnum Click on images to enlarge Family Solanaceae Scientific Name Cestrum nocturnum L. Linnaeus, C. von (1753) Species Plantarum 1: 191. Type: Jamaica, Chili; holo: BM. Fide W. G. DArcy, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60: 607 (1973). Leaves and Flowers. Copyright CSIRO Common name Bastard Jasmine; Night Jessamine; Lady of the Night Weed * Stem Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub or scandent shrub about 2-3 m tall. Leaves Scale bar 10mm. Copyright CSIRO Leaf blades about 6-13.5 x 2-4.5 cm, petioles about 0.4-0.8 cm long. Lateral veins curving inside the blade margin but not forming definite loops. Flowers Flowers about 18-20 mm long, each subtended by a bract about 3 mm long. Calyx tube about 2-2.5 mm long, lobes about 0.75-1 mm long. Corolla tube about 15 mm long, lobes about 4 mm long. Anther filaments about 2-2.5 mm long, anthers globular, about 0.5-0.75 mm long. Style + stigma about 19-20 mm long. Fruit Fruits about 10-12 mm long, calyx lobes persistent at the base. Seeds about 10 per fruit, each seed about 4-5 Cotyledon stage, epigeal germination. Copyright CSIRO x 2-2.5 mm. Embryo about 3 mm long, cotyledons about 1 mm long, radicle about 2 mm long. Seedlings Cotyledons about 9-17 x 8-12 mm appearing almost orbicular. Apex emarginate with a gland in the sinus. Petioles about 3-4 mm long, clothed in papillose hairs. Hypocotyl papillose. First leaves ovate-elliptic, glabrous, base obtuse. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade elliptic, lateral veins 6 or 7 on each side on the midrib. Terminal buds and stems sparsely clothed in hairs which are only visible with a lens. Seed germination time 20 days. Distribution and Ecology An introduced species originally from Central America and the Caribbean, now naturalised in NEQ and also 10th leaf stage. Copyright CSIRO in south eastern Queensland and coastal central New South Wales. Altitudinal range in NEQ mainly in 750- 1000 m range. Natural History & Notes Leaves and flowers poisonous. Austin, D. F. 1998. Poisonous Plants of Southern Florida. This species may have medicinal properties. It is also poisonous to a range of animals including people and rabbits. Widely cultivated in tropical areas for the strongly scented flowers. Purdie et al (1982). Shrub (woody or herbaceous, 1-6 m tall) X RFK Code 3555 CC-BY Australian Tropical Herbarium unless otherwise indicated in the images..