Tabernaemontana divaricata

Tabernaemontana divaricata, commonly called pinwheel flower,^[3] crape jasmine, East India rosebay, and Nero's crown,^[4] is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to South Asia, Southeast Asia and China.^[1] In zones where it is not hardy it is grown as a house/glasshouse plant for its attractive flowers and foliage. The stem exudes a milky latex when broken, whence comes the name milk flower

Flowers in West Bengal, India.

Tabernaemontana divaricata
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Apocynaceae
Genus:	Tabernaemontana
Species:	T. divaricata
Binomial name
Tabernaemontana divaricata R.Br. ex Roem. & Schult.
Synonyms[2]
List Ervatamia coronaria (Jacq.) Stapf Ervatamia divaricata (L.) Burkill Ervatamia divaricata var. plena (Roxb. ex Voigt) M.R.Almeida Ervatamia flabelliformis Tsiang Ervatamia recurva (Lindl.) Lace Ervatamia siamensis (Warb. ex Pit.) Kerr Kopsia cochinchinensis Kuntze Nerium coronarium Jacq. Nerium divaricatum L. Reichardia grandiflora Dennst. Reichardia jasminoides Dennst. Taberna discolor (Sw.) Miers Tabernaemontana citrifolia Lunan Tabernaemontana coronaria (Jacq.) Willd. Tabernaemontana discolor Sw. Tabernaemontana flabelliformis (Tsiang) P.T.Li Tabernaemontana gratissima Lindl. Tabernaemontana lurida Van Heurck & Müll.Arg. Tabernaemontana recurva Lindl. Tabernaemontana siamensis Warb. ex Pit. Testudipes recurva (Lindl.) Markgr. Vinca alba Noronha Jasminum zeylanicum Burm.f. Nyctanthes acuminata Burm.f.

Description

The plant generally grows to a height of 1.5–1.8 metres (5–6 ft) and is dichotomously branched. The large shiny leaves are deep green and about 15 cm (6 in) in length and 5 cm (2 in) in width. The waxy blossoms are found in small clusters on the stem tips. The (single) flowers have the characteristic 'pinwheel' shape also seen in other genera in the family Apocynaceae such as Vinca and Nerium. Both single and double-flowered forms are cultivated, the flowers of both forms being white. The plant blooms in spring but flowers appear sporadically all year. The flowers have a pleasing fragrance.^[5] More than 66 alkaloids are found in the shrub.^[6] Its habitats include montane brushwoods and sparse forests.^[7]

• 
  A pair of flowers
• 
  Tabernaemontana divaricata 'Flore Pleno'
• 
  Crape jasmine bunch
• 
  Tabernaemontana divaricata 'Pinwheel'
• 
  Tabernaemontana divarcata yet to blossom
• 
  Caterpillar of Oleander hawk-moth feeding on pinwheel flower plant
• 
  Flower buds of crape jasmine at night

Phytochemistry

The species is known to produce many alkaloids including catharanthine, conolidine, coronaridine, dregamine, ibogamine, tabersonine, voacangine, voacamine and voacristine.^[8] Ibogaine may occur in multiple Tabernaemontana species.^[8]

See also

• Tabernaemontana sananho