Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

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This article is about the tree known as Night-flowering Jasmine. For other plants known as Jasmine, see Jasmine (disambiguation).
"Parijat" redirects here. For other uses, see Parijat (disambiguation).
Nyctanthes arbor-tristis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Oleaceae
Genus: Nyctanthes
Species: N. arbor-tristis
Binomial name
Nyctanthes arbor-tristis
L.

Nyctanthes arbor-tristis (Night-flowering Jasmine) is a species of Nyctanthes, native to southern Asia, from northern Pakistan, and Nepal south through northern India, Bangladesh and southeast to Thailand.[1][2][3]

It is a shrub or a small tree growing to 10 m tall, with flaky grey bark. The leaves are opposite, simple, 6–12 cm long and 2–6.5 cm broad, with an entire margin. The flowers are fragrant, with a five- to eight-lobed white corolla with an orange-red centre; they are produced in clusters of two to seven together, with individual flowers opening at dusk and finishing at dawn. The fruit is a flat brown heart-shaped to round capsule 2 cm diameter, with two sections each containing a single seed.[2][3]

Names and symbolism

Fruit in Bardhaman, West Bengal, India.

Nyctanthes arbor-tristis (sometimes incorrectly cited as Nyctanthes arbortristis or Nyctanthes arbor tristis) is commonly known as

"Singgarei" in Manipuri, Sewali (শেৱালি) (pronounced as Xewali) in Assamese 'Shefali (শেফালী ) or Shiuli (শিউলি) in Bengali. Official State flower of West Bengal.

  • Night-flowering Jasmine
  • Coral Jasmine
  • Parijat (also spelled Paarijat or Paarijaata[4])
  • Harsingar[4]
  • Shephalika,Parijatha, Parijataka, Ragapushpi, Kharapatraka, Prajakta

Nalakumkumaka, Harshingarapushpak, Suklangi, Rajanihasa, Malika, Aparajitha, Vijaya, Nisahasa, Praharshini, Pravalanalika, Vathari, bhoothakeshi, Seetamanjari, Subaha, Nishipushpika (in Sanskrit)

  • Paarijaatham (పారిజాతము) or Pagadamalle (పగడమల్లి) in Telugu
  • Paarijaata (ಪಾರಿಜಾತ) or Goli (ಗೋಳಿ) in Kannada
  • Paarijaat (पारिजात) or Paarijatak(पारिजातक) in Marathi
  • Pavazha malli (பவழ மல்லி)in Tamil (Also spelled pavaza malli or pavala malli)
  • Pavizha malli in Malayalam
  • Prajakta or Prajakt in Sanskrit
  • සේපාලිකා in Sinhala
  • Shephali/Shefali (ଶେଫାଳି) or Ganga Shiuli (ଗଙ୍ଗ ଶିଉଳି) in Oriya
A flower decoration by Sefali flower (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) in Ananta Vasudeva Temple, Bhubaneswar premises.

The tree is sometimes called the "tree of sorrow", because the flowers lose their brightness during daytime; the scientific name arbor-tristis also means "sad tree". The flowers can be used as a source of yellow dye for clothing. The flower is the official flower of the state of West Bengal, India, and for Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand.

Mythology

Parijat, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, appears in several Hindu myths and is often related to the Kalpavriksha. In one myth, which appears in Bhagavata Purana, the Mahabharata and the Vishnu Purana, Parijat appeared as the result of the Samudra manthan (Churning of the Milky Ocean). Lord Krishna battled with Indra to win parijat. Further on, his wife Satyabhama demanded the tree to be planted in the backyard of her palace. It so happened that in spite of having the tree in her backyard, the flowers used to fall in the adjacent backyard of the other queen Rukmini who was favourite of Lord Krishna. Satyabhama used to resent this.

Pharmacology

Extracts of the seeds, flowers and leaves possesses immunostimulant, hepatoprotective, antileishmanial, antiviral and antifungal activities in vitro.[5]

The leaves have been used in Ayurvedic medicine&Homoeopathic medicine for sciatica, arthritis, fevers, and various painful conditions and as laxative.[6]

Chemical constituents

Leaves in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
  • Flowers: The flowers contain essential oils, nyctanthin, D-mannitol, tannins, glucose, carotenoids, glycosides including β-monogentiobioside ester of α-crocetin (or crocin-3), β-monogentiobioside-β-D monoglucoside ester of α-crocetin, and β-digentiobioside ester of α-crocetin (or crocin-1).
  • Bark: The bark contains glycosides and alkaloids.
  • Stem: The stems contain the glycoside naringenin-4’-0-β-glucapyranosyl-α-xylopyranoside and β-sitosterol.
  • Flower oil: The flower oil contains α-pinene, p-cymene, 1-hexanol, methylheptanone, phenyl acetaldehyde, 1-decenol and anisaldehyde.
  • Plant: The plant contains 2,3,4,6-tetra-0-methyl-D-glucose; 2,3,6 tri-0-methyl-D-glucose; 2,3,6-tri-0-methyl-D-mannose; 2,3,-di-0-methyl-D-mannose; arbortristosides A, B, and C; and iridoid glycosides.

Biological activity

  • Leaves: Antibacterial, Anthelmintic, Anti-inflammatory, Hepatoprotective, Immunopotential, Anti pyretic, Antioxidant and Anti fungal. Its new leaves are fried and used as a recipe in Assamse food.
  • Flowers: Diuretic, Anti-bilious, Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, Sedative and Antifilarial. Its dried flowers are used as components of recipe in Assamse food.
  • Seeds: Antibacterial, Antifungal, Immunomodulatory and Antileishmanial.
  • Bark: Anti-microbial
  • Stem: Antipyretic and Antioxidant.
  • Flower oil: As perfume

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Flora of Pakistan: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 AgroForestry Tree Database: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Our Tree Neighbours, by Chakravarti Venkatesh, 1976
  5. ↑ Puri A, Saxena R, Saxena RP, Saxena KC, Srivastava V, Tandon JS (March 1994). "Immunostimulant activity of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L". J Ethnopharmacol 42 (1): 31–7. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(94)90020-5. PMID 8046941. 
  6. ↑ Saxena RS, Gupta B, Lata S (August 2002). "Tranquilizing, antihistaminic and purgative activity of Nyctanthes arbor tristis leaf extract". J Ethnopharmacol 81 (3): 321–5. doi:10.1016/S0378-8741(02)00088-0. PMID 12127232. 

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