Cestrum nocturnum
Night-blooming jasmine
Cestrum nocturnum, commonly known as Night-blooming Jasmine, is a fragrant evergreen shrub celebrated for its intoxicating nocturnal scent. Beyond its ornamental beauty, this plant holds significant medicinal value in traditional practices, often utilized for its purported antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and sedative properties to treat various skin and digestive ailments.
- Scientific name: Cestrum nocturnum
- Family: Solanaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. It is further categorized under the subclass Magnoliidae, the order Solanales, and the family Solanaceae. Finally, it is identified by its specific genus, Cestrum.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Solanales | WCVP |
| Family | Solanaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Cestrum | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Cestrum nocturnum, is recognized by various common names across different languages and regions. In Hindi, it is called रातरानी, while in Chinese, it is referred to as 夜香木. In Portuguese, the plant is known as Jasmim-da-noite, and in Thai, it is called ราตรี. Additionally, in the Tahitian language, it is referred to as Laukaupoʻuli.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| hi | रातरानी | Wikidata |
| zh | 夜香木 | Wikidata |
| pt | Jasmim-da-noite | Wikidata |
| th | ราตรี | Wikidata |
| to | Laukaupoʻuli | Wikidata |
| de | Nachtjasmin | Wikidata |
| ml | നിശാറാണി | Wikidata |
| vi | Dạ lý hương | Wikidata |
| fa | محبوبهشب | Wikidata |
| te | రాత్రి రాణి | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range across several regions of the African continent. In West-Central Tropical Africa, its presence is noted in countries such as Burundi and Cameroon. It can also be found within the West-Central Tropical Africa region specifically around the Gulf of Guinea Islands. Furthermore, the species is distributed throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Finally, its range extends into Northeast Tropical Africa, where it is documented in Eritrea.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Burundi | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Cameroon | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Gulf of Guinea Is. | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | DR Congo | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Eritrea | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Ethiopia | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Kenya | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Uganda | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Malawi | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as Night-blooming Jasmine, utilizes its lush green leaves as a key component of its botanical structure. These leaves are typically elliptical or lanceolate in shape and serve the vital function of photosynthesis, providing the energy necessary for the plant to produce its famously fragrant nocturnal flowers. In various traditional medicinal practices, the leaves are sometimes processed or applied due to their specific chemical properties.- Total parts
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| leaves | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Cestrum nocturnum has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include n-butanol, saponins.
- Total chemicals
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| n-butanol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| saponins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Cestrum nocturnum has 1 reported medicinal uses identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include tumor.
- Total uses
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| tumor | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |