[Wikipedia] Invasive Potential: Invasive potential
Cestrum nocturnum has become widely naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, southern China and the southernmost United States, and is difficult to eradicate. It is classed as a weed in some countries.
In Auckland, New Zealand, it has been reported as a seriously invasive weed to the Auckland Regional Council and is under investigation. NS Forest and Bird is compiling an inventory of wild cestrum sites in order to place the plant on the banned list. The inventory can be viewed via Google Maps.[22] Some nurseries still sell it without warning customers of the dangers to native bush reserves.[citation needed] (link added by Mary Ann Machi)
[Wikipedia] Description, West Indies native: Cestrum nocturnum, the lady of the night, night-blooming jasmine, night-blooming jessamine, night-scented jessamine, night-scented cestrum or poisonberry,[2] is a species of plant in the potato family Solanaceae. It is native to the West Indies, but naturalized in South Asia.[3]
Despite its common name, the species is not a "true jasmine" and not of the genus Jasminum.
Description
Leaves and flowers
Cestrum nocturnum is an evergreen woody shrub with slender branches growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall. The plant is multi-branched and heavily foliated. The leaves are simple, narrow lanceolate, broad, smooth and glossy, with an entire margin. Towards the front they are pointed or tapered, the base is rounded or blunt. The leaf stalks are 0.8 to 2 cm long.
Inflorescences
The flowers are greenish-white, with a slender tubular corolla with five acute lobes when open at night, and are produced in cymose inflorescences. A powerful, sweet perfume is released at night. The mostly multi-flowered, drooping inflorescences are terminal or axillary. They are clustered, sparsely branched panicles, on the inflorescence axes of which there are herbaceous bracts. The five sepals are fused to form a bell-shaped, approximately 2 mm long calyx and have five pointed tips, which are slightly enlarged, ribbed and acutely pointed on the fruit. The inside and outside of the calyx are finely haired.
The fruit is a white berry 10 millimetres (0.39 in) long by 5 mm (0.20 in) diameter. There is also a variety with yellowish flowers. There are mixed reports regarding the toxicity of foliage and fruit.[4][5] (link added by Mary Ann Machi)
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Suggested Citation
Calflora:
Information on California plants for education, research and conservation,
with data contributed by
public and private institutions and individuals.
[web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California:The Calflora Database
[a non-profit organization].Available:
https://www.calflora.org/(Accessed: 12/11/2024).