Cestrum

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Ruhr-Uni-Bochum-0024.JPG

| image_caption = Fruit and blossoms of Cestrum tomentosum

| display_parents = 2

| taxon = Cestrum

| authority = L.

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = Some 150-250, see text

| synonyms =

Fregirardia
Habrothamnus
Meyenia Schltdl. (non Backeb.: preoccupied)
Parqui
Wadea

}}

Cestrum is a genus of — depending on authority — 150-250 species of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae. They are native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas, from the southernmost United States (Florida, Texas: day-blooming cestrum, C. diurnum) south to the Bío-Bío Region in central Chile (green cestrum, C. parqui). They are colloquially known as cestrums or jessamines (probably from the word "jasmine", due to their fragrant flowers).

They are shrubs growing to {{convert|1|-|4|m|0|abbr=on}} tall. Most are evergreen; a few are deciduous. All parts of the plants are toxic, causing severe gastroenteritis if eaten.

Uses and ecology

Several species are grown as ornamental plants for their strongly scented flowers. Numerous cultivars have been produced for garden use, of which 'Newellii' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/91344/i-Cestrum-i-Newellii/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - Cestrum 'Newellii'

| accessdate=12 January 2018}} (confirmed 2017).{{cite web | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 16 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | accessdate = 24 January 2018}}

Some are invasive species. Especially notorious is green cestrum (C. parqui) in Australia, where it can cause serious losses to livestock which eat the leaves (particularly of drying broken branches) unaware of their toxicity.North West Weeds (2003): [http://www.northwestweeds.nsw.gov.au/green_cestrum.htm Green cestrum] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820190343/http://www.northwestweeds.nsw.gov.au/green_cestrum.htm |date=August 20, 2006 }}. Version of 2003-APR-15. Retrieved 2007-NOV-14.

C. laevigatum is employed by wajacas (shamans) of the Krahô tribe in Brazil. It is used "to see far", i.e. to aid in divination. Like the other hallucinogenic plants consumed by them, Craós wajacas consider it a potent entheogen, not to be taken by the uninitiated.{{cite journal | last1 = Rodrigues | first1 = Eliana | last2 = Carlini | first2 = E.A. | year = 2006 | title = Plants with possible psychoactive effects used by the Krahô Indians, Brazil | journal = Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria | volume = 28 | issue = 4 | pages = 277–282 | doi = 10.1590/s1516-44462006000400006 | pmid = 17242806 | doi-access = free }}

Cestrum species are used as food by the caterpillars of several Lepidoptera species. These include the glasswing (Greta oto), the Antillean clearwing (Greta diaphanus){{cite journal |author1=A. Sourakov |author2=T. C. Emmel | title = Life history of Greta diaphana from the Dominican Republic (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) | journal = Tropical Lepidoptera | year = 1995 | volume = 6 | issue = 2 | pages = 155–157 | url=http://www.troplep.org/TLR/6-2/pdf019.pdf}} and Manduca afflicta, which possibly{{Cite web|url=http://www.silkmoths.m.bizland.com/Sphinx/mafflaff.htm|title=Manduca afflicta afflicta man-DOO-kuhM af-FLIK-ta (Grote, 1865) Sphinx|last=Oehlke|first=Bill|website=silkmoths}}{{Cite web|url=https://allaboutheaven.org/overload/349/109/eating-grubs|title=Eating grubs|website=All About Heaven}} feeds only on day-blooming cestrum. It is either known or suspected that such Lepidoptera are able to sequester the toxins from the plant, making them noxious to many predators.

Cestrum species are reported as piscicidal.{{cite journal |author1=CS JAWALE |author2=LB DAMA | title = Haematological Changes In The Fresh Water Fish, Exposed To Sub-Lethal Concentration Of Piscicidal Compounds From (Fam: Solanaceae) | journal = National Journal of Life Sciences | year = 2010 | volume = 7 | issue = 1 | pages = 82–84 | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/215901825}}{{cite journal |author1=Chetan Jawale |author2=Rambhau Kirdak |author3=Laxmikant Dama | title = Larvicidal activity of Cestrum nocturnum on Aedes aegypti | journal = Bangladesh Journal of Pharmacology | year = 2010 | volume = 5 | issue = 1 | pages = 39–40 | doi=10.3329/bjp.v5i1.4714| doi-access = free }}

Selected species

File:Cestrum diurnum.jpg), the northernmost species]]

File:Cestrum parqui.JPG (C. parqui), the southernmost species]]

Cestrum ambatense Francey
Cestrum aurantiacum – orange cestrum, orange-flowering jessamine, yellow cestrum, "orange jessamine"
Cestrum auriculatum L'Hér.
Cestrum bracteatum Link & Otto
Cestrum buxifolium Kunth
Cestrum chimborazinum
Cestrum corymbosum Schltdl.
Cestrum daphnoides Griseb.
Cestrum diurnum L. – Day-blooming cestrum, Day-blooming jessamine
Cestrum ecuadorense Francey
Cestrum elegans (Brongn. ex Neumann) Schltdl.
Cestrum endlicheri Miers.
Cestrum fasciculatum – early jessamine, "red cestrum"
Cestrum humboldtii Francey
Cestrum laevigatum Schltdl. – dama-de-noite (Brazil)
Cestrum lanceolatum Miers {{Cite web|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-2713573|title=Cestrum lanceolatum Miers|website=the plant list}}

Cestrum lanuginosum Ruiz & Pavón
Cestrum latifolium Lam.
Cestrum laurifolium L'Hér.
Cestrum meridanum Pittier
Cestrum mutisii Roem. & Schult.
Cestrum nocturnum – night-blooming cestrum, night-blooming jessamine, "lady of the night", raat ki rani (South Asia)
Cestrum pacificum
Cestrum parqui – green cestrum, Chilean cestrum, green poisonberry
Cestrum peruvianum Roemer & Schultes
Cestrum petiolare Humboldt, Bonpland & Kunth
Cestrum psittacinum Stapf
Cestrum quitense Francey
Cestrum roseum Humboldt, Bonpland & Kunth
Cestrum salicifolium Jacq.
Cestrum santanderianum Francey
Cestrum sendtnerianum Mart. ex Sendtn.
Cestrum sessiliflorum Schott ex Sendtn.
Cestrum stipulatum Vell.
Cestrum strigilatum Ruiz & Pav.
Cestrum stuebelii Hieron.
Cestrum thyrsoideum Kunth.
Cestrum tomentosum L.f.
Cestrum validum Francey
Cestrum viridifolium Francey

Cestrum

Uses and ecology

Selected species

References

Further reading