Cestrum
Night jasmine ( Cestrum nocturnum )
The hammer shrubs ( Cestrum ) are a genus of about 150-200 species of the family Solanaceae. They originate from the tropical regions of America. Some species are cultivated as ornamentals. The botanical name is derived from the Greek Kestra = hammer.
Occurrence
Hammer shrubs are mainly found in the tropical regions of the Americas ( Neotropics ), where they are not to be found in the central Amazon basin. The overall range extends from Mexico to Argentina. A center of biodiversity (diversity center ) is Brazil with almost 50 represented species; another is located in the Andean region from Venezuela to northern Argentina, there are found in about 100 species. The number of to-find species significantly decreases towards the south, from the 18 -to-find species in Bolivia, Argentina come in only eleven before and in Chile is only Cestrum find parqui.
Description
Hammer shrubs usually grow a shrub, rarely a tree 4-12 m high, isolated as a climber, they are usually evergreen. The plants can be hairy or smooth. The alternate, simple leaves are stalked.
Particularly striking are the often multi-flowered, axillary or terminal inflorescences, but the flowers can also stand alone. Many species bloom at night. The flowers are fünfzählig. The sepals are tube- shaped, inverted cone-shaped, bell-shaped or cup-shaped deformed, (rarely 1) 2.5 to 8 (rarely up to 14 ) mm long and pentadentate or five times cut. The petals can be narrow inverted cone-shaped, cylindrical, funnel-shaped or slightly overgrown urn -shaped, 9-56 mm long, occur in many colors and often above the petals enlarged and constricted below the tip.
The fruits of the hammer shrubs are black, red or white, juicy, ovate to almost round berries, a size of ( 5) 8-13 × ( 3) have 6 to 8 mm and contain (rarely one ) two to 18 seeds.
Use
Some species and varieties are ornamental tropical to sub-tropical parks and gardens. In cooler climates, some species and varieties are used as container plants.
The leaves of Cestrum laurifolium L' Herit. are highly toxic and are therefore used by the natives for poisoning arrows. From the juice of the blue-black berries of Cestrum tinctorium Jacq. a blue, almost indestructible ink was obtained, which was used in Caracas in issuing official letter (Source: Meyers encyclopedia ).
System
Overall, there are about 175 types of Cestrum, which are divided into three sections within the genus. Molecular biological studies have shown, however, that this subdivision is not monophyletic.
Selection of species according to the sections:
- Cestrum fragile Francey
- Cestrum fulvescens Fernald
- Cestrum glanduliferum Kerber ex Francey
- Cestrum laxum Benth.
- Cestrum luteovirescens Francey
- Cestrum mortonianum J.L.Gentry
- Night jasmine ( Cestrum nocturnum L.)
- Chilean shrub Hammer ( Cestrum parqui ( Lam.) L' Herit. )
- Cestrum poasanum Donn.Sm.,
- Cestrum thyrsoideum Kunth
- Cestrum aurantiacum Lindl.
- Cestrum chiriquianum Francey
- Cestrum dasyanthum Donn.Sm.
- Mexican bush hammer ( Cestrum elegans ( Brongn. ) Schltdl. )
- Cestrum endlicheri ( Schltdl. ) Miers
- Cestrum fasciculatum ( Schltdl. ) Miers
- Cestrum guatemalense Francey
- Cestrum irazuense Kuntze
- Cestrum milciomejiae T.Zanoni
- Cestrum miradorense Francey
- Cestrum oblongifolium Schltdl.
- Cestrum pacayense Francey
- Cestrum regelii Planch.
- Cestrum roseum Kunth
- Cestrum sphaerocarpum O.E.Schulz
- Cestrum violaceum Urb.
- Cestrum virgaurea Urb. Ekman &
- Cestrum acutifolium Alain
- Cestrum inclusum Urb.
- Cestrum tomentosum L. F.
- Cestrum tuerckheimii O.E.Schulz
Other types:
- Cestrum alternifolium ( Jacq. ) O.E.Schulz
- Cestrum auriculatum L' Hér.
- Cestrum diurnum L.
- Dama da Noite ( Cestrum laevigatum Schltdl. ), Rarely mentioned in literal translation " lady of the night "
- Cestrum laurifolium L' Hér.
- Willowleaf hammer shrub ( Cestrum salicifolium Jacq. )