Species

Cestrum nocturnum

Common Name(s)

queen of the night

Family

Solanaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

CESNOC

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Habitat

Terrestrial.

Features

Shrub, generally 1.5-2.5 m high, almost glabrous. Petiole c. 1cm long. Lamina 5-15 X 1.5-6 cm, elliptic to elliptic-ovate, glabrous or with minute puberulence when young; base cuneate to rounded, sometimes asymetric; apex abruptly acuminate. Panicle open, large; fls usually shortly pedicellate, sometimes subsessile, fragrant nocturnally. Calyx 2-3 mm long; lobes >1 mm long, +/- triangular, densely ciliolate, acut. Carolla 1.5-2 cm long, pale green or greenish white; tube cylindric to narrow-funnelform, widening slightly above; lobes 3 mm long, eventually spreading, glabrous except for shortly villous margins. Fruit c. 0.5 - 1 cm diameter, globose to ellipsoid, white glossy. (Webb et al 1988).

Similar Taxa

Flowers in rather diffuse clusters; fruit white; fragrant nocturnally.

Flowering

November, December, January, February, March

Flower Colours

Green,White

Year Naturalised

1980

Origin

West Indies, Central America

Reason For Introduction
Ornamental

Life Cycle Comments
Perennial.

This page last updated on 18 Jan 2010