RHYNCHOSPERMUM JASMIN011)ES 
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RHYNCHOSPERMUM JASMINOIDES. 
Nat. Order. Apocynaceh:. 
Generic Character.— Rhynchospermum, Alphonse De Can¬ 
dolle—Calyx deeply five-toothed, or five-parted; tube campanu- 
late, with many glands at the base within, the glands truncate; 
lobes oblong. Corolla five-toothed, tube cylindraceous, without 
appendages, lobes obliquely obovate, convolute to the left in 
aestivation, and with the apices indexed. Stamens hve; fila¬ 
ments evidently adherent to the base of the corolla; anthers 
hastate, adherent to the middle of the stigma; inferior lobes 
destitute of pollen. Nectary cup-shaped, dve-toothed; lobes 
obtuse. Ovaries two, longer than the nectary; style one; stigma 
oblong. Follicles elongated, compressed, narrow. Seeds nu¬ 
merous, obovate, compressed below, narrowed above into a 
slender neck, ending in a silky coma. {!). C. Prodr. Part 8.) 
Rhynchospermum jasminoide-, Lindley. — J asmine-likeE,hyn- 
cbospermum.—Slender, climbing shrub; leaves elliptical, lance¬ 
olate, acute, glabrous; calyx deeply dve-toothed; teeth subulate, 
acute, much shorter than the tube of the corolla, redexed; corolla 
white, salver-shaped, and dve-lobed; the tube much longer than 
the calyx, and suddenly contracted in the middle; the lobes 
half-spreading, ohcuneate, twisted obliquely, about as long as 
the tube; nectary of dve oblong, green, emarginate, hypogvnous 
scales, sometimes slightly united at the edge. Flowers with a 
delicious scent. 
Synonymy. —R. jasminoides, Lindley , in Journ. Hort. Soc., 
i. 79. 
B ESCRIPTION.—A slender, climbing, evergreen shrub, rooting along its branches wherever 
it touches a damp surface, like Ivy. When wounded, its branches discharge a milky fluid. 
The young shoots are slightly downy; the leaves opposite, oval, deep green, quite smooth, 
sharp-pointed, with minute scale-like glands in the place of stipules. The flowers are white, 
deliciously sweet-scented, and produced in irregular corymbs on the ends of peduncles con¬ 
siderably longer than the leaves. The calyx consists of five narrow, smooth, convex sepals, 
rolled backwards, and much shorter than the tube of the corolla, with a very shallow, toothed, 
glandular ring surrounding the base of the latter. The corolla is about three-quarters of an 
inch long, pure white, salver-shaped, contracted in the middle of the tube, with a partially 
spreading border, the five divisions of which are wedge-shaped, truncate, and twisted obliquely. 
The anthers are five, arrow-headed, placed just within the orifice of the tube, and separated 
by five slightly elevated hairy lines. The ovary consists of two separate carpels, and is sur¬ 
rounded by five oblong, green, emarginate, hypogynous scales, which are sometimes slightly 
united at the edge. 
The structure of this plant is not precisely that of the genus Rhynchospermum as given by 
M. Alphonse De Candolle, for the scales beneath the ovary are not exactly united into a cup. 
But they are partially so ; and as there is no other difference, as far as can be ascertained, from 
the plant in a flowering condition, it may be referred to the genus. In habit it is more like an 
Aganosma, but its corolla has not the tapering lobes of that genus, nor do the nectary or 
stigma correspond with it. 
History, &c. —Collected at Shanghai by Mr. Fortune, and first flowered in the Horticul¬ 
tural Society’s Garden in 1845.—A. H. 
There are in gardens two plants, probably distinct species, grown under this name; one, 
that represented in our plate, a charming greenhouse climber; the other, more trailing in its 
habit, which, as far as we are aware, has never flowered. 
Culture. —Although not a very gay plant, this, from its delicious fragrance, is well 
worthy of extensive cultivation ; and for mixing among other plants, if for its scent only, it is 
worthy of general care. When, however, it produces its spreading corymbose heads of white 
flowers in abundance, which it generally does, it is a very interesting plant; and once diming 
the season it has been exhibited in the Royal Botanic Garden, in beautiful condition, by the 
Messrs. Fraser. It is readily propagated by cuttings of the half-ripened wood, the cuttings 
being put in sand, and the pot plunged in a slight hot-bed under the protection of a bell-glass. 
When the cuttings are rooted, pot them off singly using a light and tolerably rich compost; 
place them again in a close frame until they are established, after which they may be kept in 
a warm part of the greenhouse. The Rhynchospermum is a free-growing plant, succeeding 
perfectly in the greenhouse; but when rapid growth is required, and large plants in a short 
time, the cool end of the plant-stove, or an intermediate house, will be found more suitable, 
especially during the growing season. As the plants progress in growth, they may receive 
liberal shifts, and when in full luxuriance, a little weak liquid manure may be given to them 
with advantage. During the winter season the plants must be kept comparatively dry; and 
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VOL. II. 
