Commercial Floriculture

Uses and Importance

• They are mainly grown as climbers, shrubs and rarely as pot plants.
• Jasmine flowers, known for their fragrance are used for making garland.
• Garlands are being used for personal adorning by women and in religious offerings.
• Flowers and buds used, bouquets, vent/veni preparation.
• Production of perfumed oils and attars.
• The world famous jasmine oil is extracted from Spanish jasmine (J. grandiflorum).
• The essential oil extracted from the flowers is of high value as starting material for the perfume industry.
• There is tremendous scope for the development of jasmine essential oil industry for export.
• Some portions of the flowers are also used for the production of perfumed hair oil and ‘attar’.
• The world famous jasmine oil is extracted from the flowers of the Spanish jasmine (J. grandiflorum). Nearly 50% of world’s famous jasmine oil is produced from France and the rest is contributed by Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Morocco and Tunisia.
• The jasmine oil is considered unique as it blends well with other floral extracts to make high grade perfumes and cosmetics.

Origin and History
• Among the large number of species existing only three species have attained importance in commercial cultivation.
• The Arabian or Tuscan jasmine (J. sambac) -native of the East Indies.
• The Royal jasmine or common white jasmine or Poet's jasmine (J. officinale) -Persian origin.
• The Spanish jasmine or Catalonion jasmine (J. grandiflorum)
• Cooke (1905) stated that J officinale is a native of Kashmir.
• Adorn in central Asia, Afghanistan, Iran, Nepal etc.
• In India it is being grown in 8000 hectare area.
• India exports – to Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and Gulf countries
• Historic evidences show that even 200-500 years ago, the jasmines were extensively used for hair ornamentation by the women in China.

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Distribution
• Though jasmines are distributed in tropical and subtropical countries of the world,
• No. of species are centered around India, China and Malaysia
• Among these, about 40 species are reported to occur in India.
• Some of the important are as follows,
• J. auriculatum India
• J. calophyllum India
• J.. flexile India
• J. grandiflorm Subtropical Himalayan region
• J. humile Tropical Asia
• J. officinale Iran, India, China
• J. parkeri India
• J. sambac India
• J. mulfiflorum

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Commercially important species are; 1. Jasminum auriculatum (Vasantha mallige) Shrubby Leaves are shiny, with auricles Flowers white, sweet scented Corolla lobes elliptic, carpels solitary and globose Fruits black. Flowers -perfumes. Cultivars- Parimullai, CO 1 and CO 2
2. Jasminum grandiflorum (Spanish jasmine) Woody bush Leaves : Pinnate with 3-5 leaflets of equal size Flower : White, pinkish at the base, very much fragrant and commercially Used for essential oil extraction. Cultivars- CO 1, CO 2 and Arka surabhi.
3. Jasminum sambac (Gundu mallige) Evergreen twine. Leaves cordite to oblong, acute or obtuse, waved, almost sessile, rather thin; Flowers white, fragrant usually in small, 3-forked cymes. Almost continuous. Variety florepleno: shows a double-flowered form. Cvs : Ramanathapuram, Gundumalli, Khoya and Arka Aradhana, Ramabanam madanban, Single mogra, Double mogra, Soojimalli, Kasthurimalli
4. J. multiflorum Straggly, downy shrub, leaves-corodate, mucronate, hairy beneath; Flowers white, large, fragrant, petal 6-9, lanceolate. Round the year flowering

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