Jasminum sambac

This plant has sweet flowers.

The flowers smell very good. They are white and small. People use them for tea. They also make perfume.

The flowers open at night. They close in the morning. This plant grows in warm places. It can be a small bush or a vine.

Some people make flower necklaces from them. Do you like sweet smells?

The Arabian jasmine is a special plant. It is a small shrub or a vine.

It grows in warm places like India and Bhutan. Many people grow it for its sweet smell. The white flowers bloom all year long. They grow in groups of 3 to 12. These flowers open at night. They usually open between 6 and 8 in the evening. They close again in the morning.

People use the flowers to make tea. They also use them to make perfume. This is because the flowers have a strong scent. In the Philippines, the flower is called sampaguita. It is the national flower there. People make beautiful flower necklaces called leis. They use them to honor guests.

In Indonesia, it is called melati putih. It is also a national flower there. It can symbolize purity and sincerity. In some traditions, it is used at weddings.

Some types of this plant have many petals. One type looks like a small white rose. These are called cultivars. They can have different shapes of leaves.

The Arabian jasmine is a beautiful plant known for its lovely scent. It is a small shrub or a vine that stays green all year. This plant is native to places like India and Bhutan. Many people grow it in warm areas like West Asia and Southeast Asia. It is also found in many other places like Cuba and Jamaica. People love it because its white flowers smell very sweet.

The way this plant grows is quite interesting. The flowers bloom all year long in small groups. You might see 3 to 12 flowers growing together on a branch. These flowers have a special schedule for opening. They usually open at night, around 6 to 8 in the evening. They stay open for 12 to 20 hours before closing in the morning.

Humans have known about this plant for a very long time. Early records from China say it came from Southeast Asia. Later, people spread it to Arabia and Persia to grow in gardens. In the 18th century, it became known in Europe as "sambac." A scientist named Carl Linnaeus first described it in 1753. Later, in 1789, William Aiton gave it the name "Arabian jasmine."

There are many different types of this plant called cultivars. Some have just one layer of petals, like the 'Maid of Orleans.' This type is also called sampaguita in the Philippines. Other types, like 'Grand Duke of Tuscany,' have many layers of petals. These look like tiny white roses. Some varieties have very short petals, while others have long ones.

This flower is very important to many cultures. In the Philippines, it is the national flower. People make beautiful garlands called leis to honor guests or decorate weddings. In Indonesia, it is also a national flower called melati putih. It can represent purity and sincerity in Indonesian traditions. Brides in Java often wear jasmine garlands in their hair.

Jasminum sambac is a species of evergreen jasmine. It is native to Bhutan and India. People grow it in many tropical regions. These include West Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. It has also naturalized in many places. These locations include the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. This plant is a small shrub or a vine. It is highly valued for its sweet fragrance.

The plant is very variable in its appearance. This variety might come from natural hybridization. It might also result from autopolyploidy or spontaneous mutation. Most jasmines have pinnate leaves. However, Jasminum sambac has simple leaves. These leaves are ovate, meaning they are egg-shaped. They are long and wide. The leaves are smooth, which scientists call glabrous. They only have a few hairs at the base. The flowers grow in clusters of 3 to 12. These clusters appear at the ends of the branches.

The flowers follow a specific daily cycle. They usually open at night. This happens around 6 to 8 in the evening. They stay open for a span of 12 to 20 hours. They close again in the morning. The flowers have a white corolla, which is the part of the flower made of petals. This corolla has 5 to 9 lobes. The fruit of the plant is a berry. It can be purple or black in color. Because cultivated plants often do not bear seeds, people use asexual propagation. This includes methods like cuttings, layering, and marcotting.

Humans have moved this plant across the world. Early Chinese records suggest it originated in Southeast Asia. People eventually spread it to Arabia and Persia. There, it was grown in gardens. In the 18th century, it was known in Europe as "sambac." The name comes from the Medieval Arabic word "zanbaq." This word meant jasmine flower-oil. This term later entered Latin as "sambacus." Scientists like Carl Linnaeus first described it in 1753. He called it Nyctanthes sambac. In 1789, William Aiton reclassified it. He gave it the genus name Jasminum. He also created the English name "Arabian jasmine."

There are many different cultivars of this plant. Cultivars are specific varieties grown by people. Some differ in leaf shape or petal structure. The 'Maid of Orleans' has a single layer of petals. It is often called sampaguita or pikake. The 'Belle of India' has single or double layers of elongated petals. The 'Grand Duke of Tuscany' has a double petal count. These look like small white roses. They are less fragrant than other types. The 'Mysore Malli' has very intense fragrance. Finally, 'Arabian Nights' has a double layer of petals but is quite small.

This plant is a cultural icon in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, it is the national flower. It was adopted by proclamation in 1934. People call it sampaguita. They string the buds into leis or garlands. These are used to honor guests or decorate weddings. In Indonesia, it is one of three national flowers. It is known as melati putih. It symbolizes purity, sacredness, and sincerity. Javanese brides often wear jasmine garlands in their hair.

Beyond decoration, the plant has many uses. The flowers are used in perfumes. They are also used in jasmine tea. The fragrance comes from many chemical compounds. These include benzyl alcohol and linalool. The roots contain substances like oleanolic acid. In the perfume industry, the flowers are harvested as buds. They are picked in the early morning. The buds must be white to have the best scent. Green buds may not smell as strong. This plant connects botany, history, and many different human traditions.