FoI
Navamallika
Share Foto info
Navamallika
ative Photo: Krishan Lal
Common name: Navamallika, Shrubby Jasmine • Assamese: Nabamallika • Bengali: Nuvamullika • Hindi: बड़ा कुन्द Bara-kunda, नवमल्लिका Navamallika, Dhur-malti • Kannada: adavi mallige, dodda kaadu mallige • Malayalam: നാഗമല്ലികാ Nagamallika • Marathi: Kumdi, Kundi, Kusaara • Oriya: ବରାକୁନ୍ଦା Barakunda • Sanskrit: नागमल्ली Nagamalli, नवमल्लिका Navamallika • Tamil: கட்டமல்லிகை Kattumalligai, நாகமல்லீ Nagamalli • Telugu: adavi jaji, adavi malli • Urdu: Gul-chambeli گل چمیلی
Botanical name: Jasminum arborescens    Family: Oleaceae (Jasmine family)
Synonyms: Jasminum montanum, Jasminum roxburghianum, Jasminum latifolium

Navamallika is large shrub, nearly erect, not twining or climbing. Branchlets are hairy. Oppositely arranged leaves are simple, variable in size, up to 18 cm long and 10 cm broad, ovate, pointed or long-pointed, soft-velvety when young, later hairless, leaf-base broadly rounded, sometimes heart-shaped, nerves distinct beneath. Leaf-stalk is 1-2.5 cm. Flowers are fragrant, in lax, three-forked clusters. Flower-stalks are 5 mm long. Bracts are linear, up to 5 mm long. Sepals are 5-6, sometimes more, linear, 1-2 mm long. Flowers are white, tube about 1 cm long, petals usually 8 or 9, 1-1.5 cm long, lanceshaped, pointed. Berry is mostly simple, 1-1.5 cm long, ellipsoid, slightly bent, black when ripe. Navamallika is found in tropical NW Himalayas and Deccan Peninsula, at altitudes of 200-1000 m. Flowering: April-May.

Identification credit: Krishan Lal Photographed in Renuka Lake, Sirmaur Distt, Himachal Pradesh.

• Is this flower misidentified? If yes,