Autumn marks the beginning of festivities. And the tree that marks the beginning of this season called 'sharad ritu' (शरद ऋतु ) in Hindi is the Coral Jasmine or Night Jasmine tree. During rest of the year, this tree can easily go unnoticed. But as the month of October sets in and it starts blooming, there is no way that anyone cannot get enchanted by it. Creamy white and deep orange coloured flowers with their heavenly aroma leave everyone mesmerised with their surreal beauty and fragrance.
Coral Jasmine or Harsingar (हरसिंगार) in Hindi is known for its characteristic night blooming fragrant flowers which bloom in profusion at dusk and fall off at dawn next day forming a carpet of white and orange beneath.Since it appears to be weeping early morning and shedding away its flowers as teardrops, it is also called by the common name Tree of Sorrow. Its botanical name Nyctanthes arbor-tristis literally translates into night blooming sad tree ( Nyctanthes means night blooming and arbor-tristis means sad tree).
Botanical name : Nyctanthes arbor-tristis
Common name : Hindi - Harsingar, Parijat
English - Coral Jasmine, Night Jasmine, Tree of Sorrow
Bengali - Shefali, Shiuli
Family : Verbenaceae
This tree finds many references in ancient literature and there are a few stories regarding its origin and the reason behind it shedding flowers at the break of dawn. According to one story, there was a princess named Parijataka who fell in love with the Sun. But the Sun refused to accept her. Dejected she burnt herself to ashes. From her ashes rose this tree that bloomed at night but shed all its flowers at sunrise as it could not bear the sight of its lover. Hence, it is also called as Parijata ( पारिजात ) in Hindi.
Another story states that this tree Parijata appeared as a result of Samudra Manthan (churning of milky ocean) and was given a place in the Garden of Heaven. But when one of Lord Krishna's wife Satyabhama demanded this tree, Lord Krishna brought it down from Heaven to earth and planted it in Satyabhama's courtyard in such a way that the flowers fell in Rukmini's (Lord Krishna's first wife) courtyard.
It is also said that the abode of Lord Vishnu is under this tree and that Lord Hanuman rests under its shade. Since its flowers have always been used for puja, hence it was called Hari shringar ( Hari means Lord Vishnu and Shringar means ornaments ) which later became Harsingar.
Rabindranath Tagore too composed a song Shiuli phool ( Shiuli is the Bengali name for this tree ) that beautifully describes this flower.
Distribution
It grows well all along the sub-Himalayan tract and peninsular India.
Morphology
It is a small tree with light canopy that can also be trained to form a shrub by regular pruning. Branches are quadrangular and fairly symmetrical. Bark is slightly wrinkled and greyish or greenish-white in colour. Leaves are simple, arranged opposite to each other,dark green and oval with pointed tip and entire margins. They are covered throughout with coarse hair and are rough to touch.
Inflorescence is a cyme. Sepals are green and fused to form a cup like structure. Each flower has five to eight creamy white petals fused beneath to form a coral coloured or deep orange corolla tube (hence the name Coral Jasmine ). Each petal is lobed. When the flowers are in full bloom and fully turgid, their petals roll in such a manner that the flowers look like little pinwheels with yellow-orange centres. Petals are delicate and get easily bruised.Two stamen are present inside the corolla tube. Stigma is bifid.
Fruit is a capsule that splits into two parts each bearing a seed. When unripe the fruit is green but turns black with time.
Uses
This tree earns the distinction of being the only tree whose flowers can be picked from the ground and offered to God. They are commonly used for puja.
Apart from that, the flowers are collected every morning and can be placed in a broad dish or bowl and placed in a room. The whole room gets filled with their heavenly fragrance. They can also be made to float in a dish filled with some water to keep them fresh all day.
Nyctanthes arbor-tristis has been an important medicinal plant in Ayurveda.Every part of the plant is medicinally valuable.
The leaves are anthelmintic and hence are used for treating intestinal worms.Paste of leaves is applied externally to treat skin infections. Concoction of leaves is also used to bring down fever. They are also used in the treatment of dry cough, malaria and as an antidote for snake bites.
The flowers are carminative and aid in digestion. They are also useful in treating dysmenrrhoea.
Seeds are used as a hair tonic and are effective in promoting hair growth and treating infections of scalp.
Powdered bark is consumed for getting rid of joint pains. A decoction of roots is useful in treating enlarged spleen.
Coral Jasmine or Harsingar (हरसिंगार) in Hindi is known for its characteristic night blooming fragrant flowers which bloom in profusion at dusk and fall off at dawn next day forming a carpet of white and orange beneath.Since it appears to be weeping early morning and shedding away its flowers as teardrops, it is also called by the common name Tree of Sorrow. Its botanical name Nyctanthes arbor-tristis literally translates into night blooming sad tree ( Nyctanthes means night blooming and arbor-tristis means sad tree).
Common name : Hindi - Harsingar, Parijat
English - Coral Jasmine, Night Jasmine, Tree of Sorrow
Bengali - Shefali, Shiuli
Family : Verbenaceae
This tree finds many references in ancient literature and there are a few stories regarding its origin and the reason behind it shedding flowers at the break of dawn. According to one story, there was a princess named Parijataka who fell in love with the Sun. But the Sun refused to accept her. Dejected she burnt herself to ashes. From her ashes rose this tree that bloomed at night but shed all its flowers at sunrise as it could not bear the sight of its lover. Hence, it is also called as Parijata ( पारिजात ) in Hindi.
Another story states that this tree Parijata appeared as a result of Samudra Manthan (churning of milky ocean) and was given a place in the Garden of Heaven. But when one of Lord Krishna's wife Satyabhama demanded this tree, Lord Krishna brought it down from Heaven to earth and planted it in Satyabhama's courtyard in such a way that the flowers fell in Rukmini's (Lord Krishna's first wife) courtyard.
It is also said that the abode of Lord Vishnu is under this tree and that Lord Hanuman rests under its shade. Since its flowers have always been used for puja, hence it was called Hari shringar ( Hari means Lord Vishnu and Shringar means ornaments ) which later became Harsingar.
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| A Rajasthan miniature painting depicting a lady picking Harsingar flowers |
Rabindranath Tagore too composed a song Shiuli phool ( Shiuli is the Bengali name for this tree ) that beautifully describes this flower.
Distribution
It grows well all along the sub-Himalayan tract and peninsular India.
Morphology
It is a small tree with light canopy that can also be trained to form a shrub by regular pruning. Branches are quadrangular and fairly symmetrical. Bark is slightly wrinkled and greyish or greenish-white in colour. Leaves are simple, arranged opposite to each other,dark green and oval with pointed tip and entire margins. They are covered throughout with coarse hair and are rough to touch.
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| Bark of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis |
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| Floral buds |
Inflorescence is a cyme. Sepals are green and fused to form a cup like structure. Each flower has five to eight creamy white petals fused beneath to form a coral coloured or deep orange corolla tube (hence the name Coral Jasmine ). Each petal is lobed. When the flowers are in full bloom and fully turgid, their petals roll in such a manner that the flowers look like little pinwheels with yellow-orange centres. Petals are delicate and get easily bruised.Two stamen are present inside the corolla tube. Stigma is bifid.
 |
| Blooms of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis at dawn |
Fruit is a capsule that splits into two parts each bearing a seed. When unripe the fruit is green but turns black with time.
 |
| Unripe seed of Coral Jasmine |
This tree earns the distinction of being the only tree whose flowers can be picked from the ground and offered to God. They are commonly used for puja.
Apart from that, the flowers are collected every morning and can be placed in a broad dish or bowl and placed in a room. The whole room gets filled with their heavenly fragrance. They can also be made to float in a dish filled with some water to keep them fresh all day.
The leaves are anthelmintic and hence are used for treating intestinal worms.Paste of leaves is applied externally to treat skin infections. Concoction of leaves is also used to bring down fever. They are also used in the treatment of dry cough, malaria and as an antidote for snake bites.
The flowers are carminative and aid in digestion. They are also useful in treating dysmenrrhoea.
Seeds are used as a hair tonic and are effective in promoting hair growth and treating infections of scalp.
Powdered bark is consumed for getting rid of joint pains. A decoction of roots is useful in treating enlarged spleen.
