''Stephanotis floribunda''

syn. The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...

''S. jasminoides'', the Madagascar jasmine, waxflower, Hawaiian wedding flower, or bridal wreath is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

Apocynaceae,

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entertai ...

to Madagascar. It is a twining, sparsely branched

liana A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a tax ...

that can measure up to 6 m in length. Despite its common name, the species is not a "true jasmine" and not of the genus

Jasminum Jasmine ( taxonomic name: ''Jasminum''; , ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family (Oleaceae). It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are widely cultiva ...

Description

Growing to or more, it is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

woody climber with oval leaves and clusters of pure white, waxy, intensely fragrant tubular flowers. The leather-like leaves are up to about 5 × 9 cm in size; they are glossy dark green. The flowers are waxy, star-shaped and highly scented, about 3 cm long, in clusters and are produced in summer. This vine flowers only on new growth, and thus pruning should be kept to a minimum, especially during the growth season. Flowers fade to yellow after several days and the deep, rich fragrance turns sour in smell. The flowers are in axillary

umbels In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...

. The flowering period is from spring to fall. The wreath loop forms large plum-like fruits, which, however, rarely set in specimens cultivated as indoor plants. The ovoid-shaped fruits contain numerous seeds with pappus.

Cultivation

Madagascar's climate, with its moderate temperatures, high humidity and seasonal cycles of hot, wet summers and cool, dry winters provides the optimal growing conditions for Stephanotis. Grown commercially, the trumpet-shaped blooms are in season year-round, provided they are given enough light and water, and are a popular component of bridal bouquets. It grows best in sunny, tropical conditions, or inside. In areas where the outside winter temperature drops below , ''Stephanotis floribunda'' can be wintered over in

greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown.These ...

or household settings. During the summer growth season, this vine requires full sun, abundant water, high humidity and a balanced

fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...

. As temperatures begin to cool, pots should be brought indoors and placed in the sunniest location available. ''Stephanotis floribunda'' appears to do best if root bound. The soil mixture used should have a high content of

loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...

and

peat moss ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, peat moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store wa ...

with generous drainage material such as

perlite Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass that has a relatively high water content, typically formed by the hydration of obsidian. It occurs naturally and has the unusual property of greatly expanding when heated sufficiently. It is an industrial ...

or coarse sand. Although Stephanotis do not technically go dormant, their growth is slowed and flowering is infrequent if kept in a cool, dry condition. This plant has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (N ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. Propagation is by

cutting Cutting is the separation or opening of a physical object, into two or more portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. Implements commonly used for cutting are the knife and saw, or in medicine and science the scalpel and ...

s or by the

seed A seed is an Plant embryogenesis, embryonic plant enclosed in a testa (botany), protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, includ ...

s, which are produced irregularly.

Gallery

File:Stephanotis Seed Pod.JPG, seed pod Image:Bride with stephanotis bouquet.jpg, A bride with a ''Stephanotis'' bouquet File:StephanotisPod.jpg, Stephanotis floribunda dry pod - seeds with 'parachutes' are still in File:StephanotisSeed.jpg, Stephanotis floribunda seed with 'parachute' File:Stephanotis floribunda 2.jpg, Flower closeup File:Stephanotis floribunda variegata 31.JPG, Variegated variety File:Starr-090720-3118-Marsdenia floribunda-habit on fence with fruit-Wailuku-Maui (24876945281).jpg, Trailing on fence File:Starr-090526-8510-Marsdenia floribunda-flowering habit on fence-DLNR nursery Kahului-Maui (24956851555).jpg, Climbing a fence File:Stephanotis Floribunda - panoramio.jpg, Flower cluster

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q1786657, from2=Q10475339 Asclepiadoideae Endemic flora of Madagascar House plants