Solanaceae
Cestrum

Cestrum diurnum L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 191 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Florida to Caribbean, Mexico. It is a shrub and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Solanaceae, Jennifer M Edmonds. Oliganthes, Melongena & Monodolichopus, Maria S. Vorontsova & Sandra Knapp. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2012

Type
Type: Cuba, “Chilli, Havana”, Herb. Linn. 258.4 (LINN!, lecto., designated by Howard in Fl. Less. Antill., 6: 274 (1989)) [See also Jarvis, Order out of Chaos: 406 (2007)]
Morphology General Habit
Evergreen shrubs or small trees 2–5 m high.
Morphology Stem
Stems with inconspicuous stalked glands throughout
Morphology Leaves
Leaves oblong-lanceolate, 7.2–9.2 × 2.3–3 cm, lower surfaces pilose with simple hairs interspersed with stalked glands; petioles 10–11 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal or lateral spicate racemes, cymes, umbels or panicles; pedicels absent or to 1 mm long. Calyx cupulate to campanulate, 2.5–3.5(–4.5) × 1.5–2.5 mm, lobes 0.2–0.8 × 0.5–1 mm, ciliate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white or creamy-white, diurnally fragrant, tubular to infundibuliform, 1.2–1.6 cm long and 4.5–7 mm diameter apically; tube 10–12 mm long; lobes 1.5–2.1 × 1.5–3 mm, usually spreading after anthesis
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Berry purple-black, often glossy, globose to ovoid, 6.5–7 × > 4.5 mm, base enclosed by enlarged cupulate calyces, pericarp splitting apically to expose seeds
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2 per berry plus several vestigial, light brown, elliptical, 3.1–3.5 × 2 mm.
Ecology
Cultivated; ± 1670 m
Conservation
Widespread; least concern (LC)
Note
This species is commonly known as the Day-Jessamine, reflecting the diurnal opening and potent fragrance of its flowers, though these remain open throughout the day and night.
Distribution
Range: Possibly native to South America, Florida, Greater Antilles, cultivated fairly widely Flora districts: K4
[FTEA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/62075753/62075779

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Sources

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0