Common name: Day-flowering Cestrum. Tamil name: Nar pakal nayaki
Day-flowering Cestrum is a shrub native to Central America, it is an evergreen shrub that grows to a height of about 4 meters. The plant should have been introduced into India as a ornamental, often seen planted in home gardens in Tamilnadu. The plant grows to a certain height, the branches then tend to droop down; young branches are green and lenticulate. The simple leaves are arranged in an alternate and spiral manner. The leaf stalk and leaf measure around 1.6 cm and 8.5 cm respectively. The leaves are elliptica-oval in shape, with a acute tip and an unequal base. The leaves are glossy green above; below pale green and the nerve exposed. The inflorescence is in the form of an axillary clustered cymes. The sessile flowers has five petals (recurved) joined below to form a tubular flower. The flower length measurers around 1.8 cm and flower across measurers 7-8 mm. The calyx is small, measuring about 2-3 mm, green in color and co-joined below. The flower tube encloses 5 stamens and a single capitate style. The fruit is in the form of a dark purple berry with 4 to 5 seeds. Day-flowering Cestrum is much valued for its ornamental white fragrant flowers. This plant produces fragrant flowers during the day. The plant has the potential to become invasive.
