Jasminum grandiflorum L.

Jasminum grandiflorum L

Jasminum grandiflorum L., Sp. Pl., ed 2, 9, 1762.—F. Brown, Flora, 225, 1935.

Jasminum officinale L. var. grandiflorum (L.) Stokes, Bot. Comment. 1:21, 1830.

Jasminum officinale f. grandiflorum (L.) Kobuski, Journ. Arn. Arb., 13:161, 1932.

Loosely branched or scandent shrub, not twining, with long internodes, subglabrous, branches widely divergent to somewhat ascending; leaves pinnately compound, commonly 7–9 foliate, 5–10 cm long, terminal leaflet ovate, acuminate, 1.5–3.5 cm long, lateral ones smaller, obliquely ovate, obtuse to acute, mucronulate, petioles 12–20 mm; flowers in loose cymes, these terminal and on short lateral branchlets, the whole branch systems becoming open cymose-paniculate, terminal flowers in cymes on pedicels 5–15 mm long, the cyme-branches below them much longer, either bearing single bracteate flowers or very loose dichasia, sometimes only one lateral flower developing, sometimes one lateral pedicel proliferating monochasially, calyx tube cylindric-campanulate, about 1 mm wide and long, lobes 5, subulate-filiform, 5–12 mm long, slightly puberulent, erect or somewhat curved-spreading; corolla somewhat curved zygomorphic-salverform, tube slender, 10–17 mm long, subequal with limb, limb in bud fusiform, lobes 4–5, oval, 10–17 mm long, 5–10 mm wide, rounded to obtuse and mucronulate at apex, corolla white within, purplish maroon without, fragrant.

SPECIMENS SEEN.—Nukuhiva I.: low elevation, Brown & Brown 710 (BISH).

Uapou I.: 10–15 m; houseyard, Hakahetau Village, ornamental, Decker 2267 (US).

Uahuka I.: 1–10 m, village of Vaipae’e in canyon-like valley, ornamental, Decker 1617 (BISH, US, P) (a form with unusually small flowers).

Hivaoa I.: Atuona, near sea level, cultivated, PES (M & A) 215 (BISH, LeB) “vine, flowers yellow, fragrant.” Atuona, cultivated, PES Ex 215 (BISH).

ETHNOBOTANY.—Jasmine. Pitate is the Tahitian name for cultivated jasmines, also used in the Marquesas. Used for crowns (PES 215, Ex 215), used at funerals (Brown & Brown 710).