Scientific Name: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L.

Synonyms: Bruschia macrocarpa Bertol., Nyctanthes dentata Blume

Unique ID: 221

Systematic Position

Class: Dicotyledonae

Sub Class: Gamopetalae                  

Series: Bicarpellatae

Order: Gentianales

Family: Oleaceae

Common Names

English – Night Jasmine, Coral Jasmine

Malayalam – പാരിജാതം

Tamil – Pavizhamalli

Hindi – Har Singar

Description: A deciduous shrub or small tree, some times found in forest fringe as escape. Branchlets pubescent, 4-angled. Leaves ovate, shortly acuminate, distantly toothed or entire, coriaceous, scabrid, base rounded, cuneate or acute. Flowers white, sweet scented, sessile, 3-7 together on hairy quadrangular peduncles arranged in cymose panicles. Calyx tube funnel shaped, 4-5 toothed; corolla tube cylindrical, orange red, lobes white, 5-8, contorted in bud. Anthers subsesile near the mouth of the corolla tube. Ovary two celled, style cylindric,bifid. Fruit is a compressed orbicular capsule.

Habitat: It has been widely introduced in most tropical regions of the world

Distribution: India: Andaman & Nicobar Island, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan

Uses:  Flowers are eaten as vegetable either as fresh or as dried one. The taste is pleasant bitter. Leaves are used in making curry. It is said to be antihelmenthic & aphrodisiac. Leaves are also used to treat skin diseases ; Ayurveda, Folk medicine, Homoeopathy, Folk medicine, Siddha