Jasminum officinale
Common name
poet’s jasmine
Family
Oleaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Conservation status
Not applicable
Flower colours
White
Year naturalised
1958
Origin
Sino-Himalayan region
Etymology
jasminum: Believed to be derived from ‘ysmyn’, the Arabic name for Jasmine.
officinale: From the Latin officina shortened from opificina which originally meant ‘workshop’ but later came to mean a monastic storeroom, herb-room or pharmacy. Refers to the plant’s medicinal value.
References and further reading
Johnson, A. T. and Smith, H. A (1986). Plant Names Simplified: Their pronunciation, derivation and meaning. Landsman Bookshop Ltd: Buckenhill, UK.