''Stephanotis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

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 ...

s first described in 1806. The name derives from the Greek stephanōtís (feminine adj.) fit for a crown, derivative of stéphanos (masculine) crown. It contains

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-stemmed

lianas 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 ta ...

with a scattered distribution in several tropical and subtropical regions. ''Stephanotis'' are grown for their strongly perfumed, waxy, tubular, usually white flowers. Leaves are opposite, ovate to elliptic, and leathery. ''Stephanotis'' is a beautiful but difficult plant - it hates sudden changes in temperature, needs constant cool conditions in winter and is attractive to scale and mealy bug. The stems of ''Stephanotis'' can reach 10 ft or more, but it is usually sold twined around a wire hoop. The heavily scented waxy flowers appear in summer. The best known species is ''

Stephanotis floribunda ''Stephanotis floribunda'' syn. ''S. jasminoides'', the Madagascar jasmine, waxflower, Hawaiian wedding flower, or bridal wreath is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, native to Madagascar. It is a twining, sparsely branched l ...

'' (Madagascar jasmine), which is cultivated as a tropical or hothouse ornamental, and whose flowers are a popular element in wedding bouquets. The ''Stephanotis'' has grown in popularity over the past few years along with some of the other spring flowering vines. It is known by a few different names such as “Madagascar jasmine” and “bridal veil”. ;Species ;formerly included transferred to other genera ''( Jasminanthes,

Marsdenia ''Marsdenia'' is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1810. It is named in honor of the plant collector and Secretary of the Admiralty, William Marsden. The plants are native to tropical regions in Asia, Afri ...

)''

References

Apocynaceae genera Asclepiadoideae {{Apocynaceae-stub