Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L.

Scientific Name: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L.

Family: Oleaceae

Common Name: Night Blooming Jasmine

Hindi Name: हरसिंगार

Description: A deciduous shrub or small tree, acuminate, distantly toothed or entire, coriaceous, scabrid, base rounded, cuneate or acute. Flowers white, sweet scented, sessile, 3-7 together on hairy quadrangular peduncles arranged in cymose panicles. Calyx tube funnel shaped, 4-5 toothed; corolla tube cylindrical, orange red, lobes white, 5-8, contorted in bud. Anthers subsessile near the mouth of the corolla tube. Ovary two celled, style cylindric, bifid. Fruit is a compressed orbicular capsule.

Economic Importance: Flowers yield an essential oil similar to jasmine. Corolla tubes containing a colouring matter, nyctanthin, which is identical with alpha, crocetil from saffron. Bark used for tannin.

Medicinal Importance: The popular medicinal use of this plant are anti-helminthic and anti-pyretic besides its use as a laxative, in rheumatism, skin ailments and as a sedative.

Religious Importance: Parijat is also known in India as Harsingar, or the ornament of the Gods. It is therefore the only flower that can be offered to the Gods after picking it up from the ground. The flower is said to also help one remember one’s past lives and incarnations.

References:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/819499647
https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/265609
https://greencleanguide.com/economic-importance-of-nyctanthes-arbor-tristis/#:~:text=Leaves%20antibilious%20and%20expectorant%2C%20used,the%20ciliary%20movements%20of%20oesophagus
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23376280/#:~:text=Ethnopharmacological%20relevance%3A%20Nyctanthes%20arbor%2Dtristis,ailments%20and%20as%20a%20sedative
https://garlandmag.com/threads/the-fragrant-myth-of-parijat/#:~:text=Parijat%20is%20also%20known%20in,one's%20past%20lives%20and%20incarnations