Cestrum
Read about Cestrum in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Cestrum (old Greek name). Incl., Habrothamnus. Solanaceae. Greenhouse shrubs (or low trees) some of them with a climbing habit, and grown in the open in southern California and elsewhere South. Leaves alternate and entire, usually rather narrow: fls. tubular, in axillary or terminal cymes, red, yellow, greenish or white, often very fragrant; corolla salver- shaped or somewhat trumpet-shaped, the long tube often enlarged at the throat, 5-lobed, exceeding the bell-shaped or tubular 5-toothed calyx; stamens mostly 5, all perfect, attached in the tube: fr. a scarcely succulent mostly reddish or blackish berry, derived from a 2-celled stipitate ovary and seeds few or reduced to 1.—Probably 150 species, in Trop. and Subtrop. Amer. They are much grown in warm countries, where they bloom continuously. For a monograph of the West Indian species (about 20) see O. E. Schulz, in Urban, Symbolae, Antillanae, vi, p. 249-279 (1909-1910). Cestrums are among the most useful of bright- flowering shrubby greenhouse plants, and they may be grown either as pot-plants, or planted against the back wall or supports of a greenhouse, where, if given a light position, they will produce an abundance of flowers from January to April. The Mexican species will do well in a winter temperature of 45° to 50°, but the species from Central America require stove temperature. They are propagated by cuttings taken in February or early in March and inserted in sand in a warm temperature, keeping them somewhat close until rooted, when they should be potted in a light soil, after which they may be grown in pots, shifting on as often as required, or planted out in the open ground toward the end of May in a sunny position, where, if kept pinched back to induce a bushy growth and attention is paid to watering, they will make fine plants by the first of September. They should then be lifted and potted in a light rich soil and kept close and shaded for a few days, and then transferred to their winter quarters. After flowering, the plants should be given a rest for a month or six weeks, gradually reducing the supply of water to induce the leaves and wood to ripen, after which they should be cut well back, the old soil shaken off, and the roots trimmed back, and then either potted again or planted out for the summer. While in the greenhouse, cestrums are very subject to the attacks of insects, especially the mealy-bug. (E. J. Canning.)
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Cestrum is a genus of between 150-250 species of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas, from the southernmost United States (Florida, Texas; C. diurnum) south to central Chile (Bío-Bío Region; C. parqui).
They are shrubs growing to 1-4 m tall, mostly evergreen, a few deciduous. All parts of the plants are toxic, causing severe gastroenteritis if eaten.
- Selected species
- Cestrum ambatense Francey
- Cestrum aurantiacum Lindl.
- Cestrum auriculatum L'Hér.
- Cestrum bracteatum Link & Otto
- Cestrum chimborazinum Francey
- Cestrum corymbosum Schltdl.
- Cestrum daphnoides Griseb.
- Cestrum diurnum L. – Day Blooming Jessamine.
- Cestrum ecuadorense Francey
- Cestrum elegans (Brongn. ex Neumann) Schltdl.
- Cestrum endlicheri Miers.
- Cestrum fasciculatum (Schltdl.) Miers
- Cestrum humboldtii Francey
- Cestrum laevigatum Schltdl.
- Cestrum lanuginosum Ruiz & Pavón
- Cestrum latifolium Lam.
- Cestrum laurifolium L'Hér.
- Cestrum meridanum Pittier
- Cestrum mutisii Roem. & Schult.
- Cestrum nocturnum L. – Lady of the Night
- Cestrum parqui L'Hér. – Green Cestrum
- Cestrum peruvianum Roemer & Schultes
- Cestrum petiolare Humboldt, Bonpland & Kunth
- Cestrum psittacinum Stapf
- Cestrum quitense Francey
- Cestrum roseum Humboldt, Bonpland & Kunth
- Cestrum salicifolium Jacq.
- Cestrum santanderianum Francey
- Cestrum strigilatum Ruiz & Pav.
- Cestrum stuebelii Hieron.
- Cestrum tomentosum L.f.
- Cestrum validum Francey
- Cestrum viridifolium Francey
Synonyms of Cestrum include Fregirardia, Habrothamnus, Meyenia, Parqui, and Wadea.
Cultivation and uses
Several species are grown as ornamental plants for their strongly scented flowers.
Some are invasive species, notably C. parqui in Australia, where it can cause serious losses to livestock, which eat the leaves (particularly of drying broken branches) unaware of their toxicity [1].
References
- Germplasm Resources Information Network: Cestrum
- Trees and shrubs of the Andes of Ecuador: Cestrum
- Flora of Chile: Cestrum (pdf file)
- USDA Plants Profile: Cestrum
- 'Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops' (P. Hanelt & IPK (eds.) 2001, Springer).
- Huxley, A., ed. (1990). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.
- Cestrum parqui
