Cestrum nocturnum

Cestrum nocturnum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Solanales
Family:	Solanaceae
Genus:	Cestrum
Species:	C. nocturnum
Binomial name
Cestrum nocturnum L.

Cestrum nocturnum is a species of Cestrum, native to the West Indies^[1]. Common names include Night-blooming Cestrum, Lady of the Night, Queen of the Night, Night-blooming jessamine, and Night-blooming Jasmine. Hasnuhana (হাসনুহানা) is another popular name for the plant in Bengali. Also known as Raat ki Rani (रात की रानी) (Queen of the night) in Hindi, Nepali and Urdu, Raat Rani (रातराणी) in Marathi 夜來香 (yè lái xiāng) or 夜香木 (yè xiāng mù) in Chinese, Dạ lai hương, or Dạ lý hương in Vietnamese, and Dama de Noche in Spanish. In Thai it is known as Dok Ratree (ดอกราตรี) , and مسك الليل «Mesk el-leel» In Arabic . In Jordan, it is known as kulunya, apparently a reference to eau de Cologne.

Description

It is an evergreen woody shrub growing to 4 metres (13 ft) tall. The leaves are simple, narrow lanceolate, 6–20 cm (2–8 in) long and 2–4.5 cm broad, smooth and glossy, with an entire margin. The flowers are greenish-white, with a slender tubular corolla 2-2.5 cm (1 in) long with five acute lobes, 10–13 mm diameter when open at night, and are produced in cymose inflorescences. A powerful, sweet perfume is released at night. The fruit is a berry 10mm long by 5mm diameter, the colour of an aubergine. There is also a variety with yellowish flowers. There are mixed reports regarding the toxicity of foliage and fruit. ^[2][3]

Cultivation and uses

Cestrum nocturnum also known as Night Blooming Jasmine, is grown in subtropical regions as an ornamental plant for its flowers that are heavily perfumed at night. It grows best in average to moist soil that is light and sandy, with a neutral pH of 6.6 to 7.5, and is hardy to hardiness zone 8. Feed bi-weekly with a weak dilution of seaweed and fish emulsion fertilizer.

Ingestion of night jessamine (Cestrum nocturnum L.) has not been well documented, but there is some reason to believe that caution is in order. All members of the Solanaceae family contain an alkaloid toxin called Solanine, ^[4] although it should be noted that tomatoes, potatoes, sweet peppers, chili peppers and many other fruits and tubers belong to the same family and are routinely eaten without ill-effect. The most commonly-reported problems associated with night jessamine are respiratory problems from the scent, and feverish symptoms following ingestion.

Some people – especially those with respiratory sensitivities or asthma – report difficulty breathing, irritation of the nose and throat, headache, nausea, or other symptoms when exposed to the blossom's powerful scent. Some Cestrum species contain chlorogenic acid, and the presence of this potent sensitizer may be responsible for this effect in C. nocturnum.

Some plant guides describe night jessamine as "toxic" and warn that ingesting plant parts, especially fruit, may result in elevated temperature, rapid pulse, excess salivation and gastritis.

The mechanisms of the plant's psychoactive effects are currently unknown, and anecdotal data is extremely limited. In a rare discussion of traditional entheogenic use of the plant, Müller-Ebeling, Rätsch, and Shahi describe shamanic use of night jessamine in Nepal. They describe experiencing "trippy" effects without mentioning unpleasant physical side effects. Rätsch's Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants also describes a handful of reports of ingestion of the plant without mentioning serious adverse side effects.

Spoerke et al. describe the following toxic effects reported from ingesting C. nocturnum: Ingesting 15 lb of plant material caused a cow to salivate, clamp its jaws, collapse, and eventually die. A postmortem showed gastroenteritis and congestion of liver, kidneys, brain, and spinal cord. Although the berries and the sap are suspected of being toxic, several cases of ingestion of the berries have not shown them to be a problem, with one exception. Morton cites a case where children ate significant quantities (handfuls) of berries and had no significant effects and another two where berries were ingested in smaller amounts, with similar negative results.

Ingestion of green berries over several weeks by a 2-year-old child resulted in diarrhea, vomiting, and blood clots in the stool. Anemia and purpura [discoloration of the skin caused by subcutaneous bleeding] were also noted. A solanine alkaloid isolated from the stool was hemolytic to human erythrocytes. <http://www.erowid.org/plants/cestrum/cestrum_health1.shtml>

Plant extracts have shown potent mosquito larvicidal activity against the larvae of Aedes aegypti while showing no toxicity to fish^[5]

Invasive potential

It has become widely naturalised in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, southern China and the southernmost United States, and is difficult to eradicate. It is classed as a weed in some countries.

In Auckland New Zealand, it has been reported as a seriously invasive weed to the Auckland Regional Council and is under investigation. NS Forest and Bird is compiling an inventory of wild cestrum sites in order to place the plant on the banned list. The inventory can be viewed via Google Maps ^[6]. Some nurseries still sell it without warning customers of the dangers to native bush reserves. It has been reported that the plant has been removed from some old folks' homes due to the strong scent causing difficulties for the residents.

Gallery

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  Freshly opened in Rockledge, Florida. (1 of 3)

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  Freshly opened in Rockledge, Florida. (2 of 3)

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  A Black Racer snake rests on branches of a Night-Blooming Jasmine bush in Rockledge, Florida. (1 of 3)

References

1. ^ Hortus Third Cornell University, Western Garden Book 2007 Ed
2. ^ Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Eastern Africa – Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk (1962)
3. ^ Erowid Cestrum Vaults : Cestrum Health Concerns. Erowid.org (2008-08-27). Retrieved on 2011-07-10.
4. ^ Whar is solanine. Wisegeek
5. ^ Patil CD, Patil SV, Salunke BK, Salunkhe RB"Bioefficacy of Plumbago zeylanica (Plumbaginaceae) and Cestrum nocturnum (Solanaceae) plant extracts against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicide) and nontarget fish Poecilia reticulata. Parasitol Res." 2011 May;108(5):1253-63
6. ^ Cestrum wild locations – Google Maps. Maps.google.co.nz. Retrieved on 2011-07-10.

Further reading

• Huxley, A., ed. (1990). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.
• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Cestrum nocturnum
• Flora of China: Cestrum nocturnum in China
• Poisons Information Centre (Queensland): Cestrum nocturnum
• USDA Plants Profile: Cestrum nocturnum
• Floridata: Cestrum nocturnum

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