Jasmine


Jasmine is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family of Oleaceae. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are widely cultivated for the characteristic fragrance of their flowers.
The village of Shubra Beloula in Egypt grows most of the jasmine used by the global perfume industry.

Description

Jasmine can be either deciduous or evergreen, and can be erect, spreading, or climbing shrubs and vines. The leaves are borne in opposing or alternating arrangement and can be of simple, trifoliate, or pinnate formation.
The flowers are typically around in diameter. They are white or yellow, although in rare instances they can be slightly reddish. The flowers are borne in cymose clusters with a minimum of three flowers, though they can also be solitary on the ends of branchlets. Each flower has about four to nine petals, two locules, and one to four ovules. They have two stamens with very short filaments. The bracts are linear or ovate. The calyx is bell-shaped. They are usually very fragrant.
The basic chromosome number of the genus is 13, and most species are diploid. However, natural polyploidy exists, particularly in Jasminum sambac, Jasminum flexile, Jasminum mesnyi, and Jasminum angustifolium.

Distribution and habitat

Jasmines are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Eurasia, Africa, Australasia within Oceania, although only one of the 200 species is native to Europe. Their center of diversity is in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Several jasmine species have become naturalized in Mediterranean Europe. For example, the so-called Spanish jasmine was originally from West Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Northeast Africa, and East Africa, and is now naturalized in the Iberian Peninsula.
Jasminum fluminense and Jasminum dichotomum are invasive species in Hawaii and Florida. Jasminum polyanthum, also known as pink jasmine, is an invasive weed in Australia.

Etymology

The name comes from Old French jessemin, from which is derived from the Middle Persian word yāsaman and yāsamīn in Arabic. The word entered Middle French around 1570 and was first used in English in 16th century England. The Persian name is also the origin of the genus name, Jasminum.

Taxonomy

belonging to the genus are classified under the tribe Jasmineae of the olive family. Jasminum is divided into five sections—Alternifolia, Jasminum, Primulina, Trifoliolata, and Unifoliolata.

Species

Species include:
Jasmine lends its name to jasmonate plant hormones, as methyl jasmonate isolated from the oil of Jasminum grandiflorum led to the discovery of the molecular structure of jasmonates. Jasmonates occur ubiquitously across the plant kingdom, having key roles in responses to environmental cues, such as heat or cold stress, and participate in the signal transduction pathways of many plants.

Cultural importance

Jasmine is cultivated commercially for domestic and industrial uses, such as the perfume industry. It is used in rituals like marriages, religious ceremonies, and festivals. Jasmine flower vendors sell garlands of jasmine, or in the case of the thicker motiyaa or mograa varieties, bunches of jasmine are common. They may be found around entrances to temples, on major thoroughfares, and in major business areas.
A change in presidency in Tunisia in 1987 and the Tunisian Revolution of 2011 are both called "Jasmine revolutions" in reference to the flower.
"Jasmine" is a common female given name.

Symbolism

Several countries and states consider jasmine as a national symbol.