Cestrum nocturnum

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Cestrum nocturnum

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Solanales
Family:	Solanaceae
Genus:	Cestrum
Species:	C. nocturnum

Binomial name

Cestrum nocturnum
L.

Cestrum nocturnum (Raat Ki Rani) is a species of Cestrum, native to Mexico, Central America, India and Cuba. Common names include Night-blooming Cestrum, Lady of the Night, Queen of the Night, Night-blooming jessamine, and Night-blooming Jasmine. Also known as Raat ki Rani (Queen of the night), in Urdu and Hindi.

1 Description
2 Cultivation and uses
- 2.1 Invasive potential
3 Gallery
4 References

[edit] Description

It is an evergreen woody shrub growing to 4 metres (13 ft) tall. The leaves are simple, narrow lanceolate, 6-20 cm (2-8 in) long and 2-4.5 cm broad, smooth and glossy, with an entire margin. The flowers are greenish-white, with a slender tubular corolla 2-2.5 cm (1 in) long with five acute lobes, 10-13 mm diameter when open at night; they are produced in cymose inflorescences, and are strongly scented. The scent is released at night. The fruit is a poisonous white berry. There is also a variety with yellowish flowers.

[edit] Cultivation and uses

Cestrum nocturnum also known as Night Blooming Jasmine, is grown in subtropical regions as an ornamental plant for its strongly-scented flowers. It grows best in average to moist soil that is light and sandy, with a neutral pH of 6.6 to 7.5, and is hardy to hardiness zone 8. Feed bi-weekly with a weak dilution of seaweed and fish emulsion fertilizer.

All parts of the plant are highly poisonous.

[edit] Invasive potential

It has become widely naturalised in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, including Australia, southern China and the southernmost United States, and is difficult to eradicate. It is classed as a weed in some countries.^{[citation needed]}