Cestrum diurnum

Cestrum diurnum L.

Common Names: Day Blooming Cestrum, Day Blooming Jasmine

Family: Solanaceae

Habit: Cestrum diurnum grows as a shrub to 4 m in height. The leaves are arranged alternately, to 12 cm in length, elliptic to lanceolate, with an acute to obtuse leaf apex and an entire leaf margin.

The complete, perfect, actinomorphic, fragrant flowers are in terminal and axillary racemes and panicles. The calyx has 5 fused into a tube, greenish sepals.  The corolla has 5 fused into an elongate tube, white petals. The lobes of the petals are highly reflexed There are 6 stamens with yellow anthers that are fused at the base to the corolla.  The ovary is superior with 2 locules and numerous seeds.  The fruit is a dark blue/black berry at maturity.

Habitat: Cestrum diurnum grows in Human Altered environments (yards and gardens) but is known to have escaped cultivation into disturbed areas and roadsides.

Distribution: Cestrum nocturnum is NOT native to the Lucayan Archipelago but is grown on many islands.  It is native to Mexico and the Greater Antilles.  It is grown in tropical and subtropical locations around the world.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Cestrum diurnum is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.

Cestrum diurnum is used in the horticultural trade for its fragrant and showy flowers.

Other species of Cestrum are known to have toxic alkaloids.