Nyctanthes

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|image = Leaves_of_the_Parijat_plant_(Nyctanthes_arbor-tristis),_Kolkata,_India_-_20070130.jpg

|image_caption = Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

|taxon = Nyctanthes

|authority = L.

|type_species = Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

|type_species_authority = L.

|synonyms_ref =

|synonyms =

• Pariaticu Adans.
• Scabrita L.
• Parilium Gaertn.
• Omolocarpus Neck.
• Bruschia Bertol.

}}

Nyctanthes is a genus of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae, native to southeastern Asia. It is currently accepted as containing two species; other species previously included in this genus have been transferred to other genera, most of them to Jasminum.[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=354899 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]University of Oxford, Oleaceae information site: [http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/fraxigen/fraxinus/oleaceae/nyctanthes.html Nyctanthes]Sarmah, K.K. & Borthakur, S.K. (2009). A checklist of angiospermic plants of Manas national park in Assam, India. Pleione 3: 190-200.

They are shrubs or small trees growing to 10 m tall, with flaky bark. The leaves are opposite, simple. The flowers are produced in small clusters of two to seven together. The fruit is a two-parted capsule, with a single seed in each part.Flora of Pakistan: [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=122518 Nyctanthes]AgroForestry Tree Database: [http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=18063 Nyctanthes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716051937/http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=18063 |date=2011-07-16 }} The name Nyctanthes means "night flowering".

;Species

1. Nyctanthes aculeata Craib – Thailand
2. Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. - (Night-flowering jasmine or "sad tree") native to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Java, Sri Lanka and Sumatra.