Murraya paniculata

Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack

Common Names: Mock Orange, Chinese Box, Orange Jasmine

Family: Rutaceae

Habit: Murraya paniculata grows as a shrub to small tree up to 8 m in height.  The pinnately compound leaves are arranged alternately and are up to 10 cm in length.  The alternate 3-9 leaflets are to 7 cm in length, elliptic to obovate with an obtuse or emarginate leaf apex and entire or slightly crenate margin.

The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers are arranged in open terminal or axillary racemes. The calyx has 5 unfused, green sepals.  The corolla has 5 unfused, white petals.  There are 10 unfused, bi-length stamens. The superior ovary has 2 – 5 locules each with 2 ovules.  The fruit is an orange, few seeded berry or drupe at maturity.

Habitat: Murraya paniculata grows in Human Altered environments (yards and gardens).

Distribution: Murraya paniculata is NOT native to the Lucayan Archipelago.  It is native to the Indian subcontinent and south east Asia. It now grows throughout the world in subtropical and tropical locations.

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

Murraya paniculata is widely used in the horticultural trade for its fragrant flowers and being easy to train as a hedge.