Tabernaemontana litoralis Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. 3: 228 1819. (Syn: Echites bignoniiflorus Schltdl.; Odontostigma galeottianum A.Rich.; Peschiera litoralis (Kunth) Miers; Stemmadenia bella Miers; Stemmadenia bignoniiflora (Schltdl.) Miers; Stemmadenia galeottiana (A.Rich.) Miers; Stemmadenia greenmanii Woodson; Stemmadenia insignis Miers; Stemmadenia litoralis (Kunth) L.Allorge; Stemmadenia macrophylla Greenm.; Tabernaemontana laurifolia Schott ex Miers);
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Mexico to W. Colombia: Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Nicaragua, Panamá as per POWO;
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010309 GI Request id: 3 images.
Request id for this tree photographed last month (1.3.09) growing inside the campus at the foothills of Velliangiri hills, Coimbatore. Flowers were high up and hence close shots were not possible with my camera.


I believe it is Tabernaemontana divaricata, “Pinwheel Jasmine”, in the Apocynaceae.


Doesn’t match google image pics of Tabernaemontana divaricata, “Pinwheel Jasmine, but I may be wrong.


I looked up Tabernaemontana divaricata at the Flowers of India site
The site describes it as Crape jasmine, Carnation of India, Chandni चांदनी (Hindi), நந்தியார்வட்டை Nandiar vattai (Tamil), Sagar (Gujarati), Ananta (Marathi) but not as “Pinwheel jasmine” although description says,”The usual variety has pinwheel shaped five-petal flowers”
The நந்தியார்வட்டை Nandiar vattai (Tamil name) plant that i know and have seen at several places did not grow as tall as the one i photographed. I photographed this from outside the compound wall ( wall of considerable height- close to 15ft.) The plant was a few feet well above and clear of the compound wall. I presumed it to be a tree. Perhaps it was a tall shrub? Will check this fact out during my next visit.
Second question is this –Tabernaemontana divaricata that i have known have white flowers whose petals are 5 in number and  clearly visible in the pinwhell fashion;
then there is one where the petals are many ( in layman’s term-  ‘double’ and  for horticulturists it’s i think ‘Flore Pleno’).
So is this a third variety?
If you look up the image at this site (from USA) it looks something even more different.
http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxonimage/id56016/
Convinced it is  Tabernaemontana  is it divaricata  ?
The FRLHT’s site mention several species but images were not available.
So friends please help and clarify.


Tabernaemontana gamblei Subraman. & A.N.Henry ??


Looks different as per BiotikFoPIGBIFFOI


Tabernimontana alternifolia ????


Looks different from images at Tabernaemontana alternifolia L.

Also could not find a match as per comparative images at Apocynaceae


Belongs to the family Apocynaceae.


Appears close to images at Chonemorpha fragrans (Moon) Alston


It doesn’t look like Chonemorpha fragrans, at least the fruits are different.
Further it was mentioned that it is a tall tree, but not sure whether the person who posted the pictures was confused with the flowers of liana over a tree or not!
Not Beaumontia jerdoniana as well.

Based on the fruit it is not Chonemorpha fragrans;

to it looks closer to Stemmasenia littoralis or other species of Stemmadenia, it looks like Tabernemontana flower, fruit also looks similar


Is there any chance for Tabernaemontana gamblei Subram. & Henry?


I too think that this could be species of Stemmasenia



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References:
POWO  Catalogue of Life  The Plant List Ver.1.1  WCSP  IPNI  GBIF (High resolution specimens) IBIS Flora (Flora of British India) swbiodiversity  Monaco Nature Encyclopedia

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