Жасмин самбак

What it is

In Indonesia, melati is the national flower and is Jasminum sambac, the Arabian jasmine. It is a small shrub or vine growing up to 0.5 to 3 m in height. The species is cultivated in many places, especially West Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. The flowers open at night, usually around 6 to 8 in the evening, and close in the morning. Cultivated plants generally do not bear seeds and are reproduced solely by cuttings, layering, marcotting and other methods of asexual propagation. The flowers may also be used as a fragrant ingredient in jasmine tea.

Origins

Jasminum sambac is the second most common variety of cultivated jasmine in India. In India the flowers are grown in Tamil Nadu, where the fields are in bloom from spring through the end of summer. Jasminum sambac also grows in China, where its flowers are used to make scented teas. Jasmine sambac blooms on a Gaussian curve from March to October. Every 45 days the shrub produces new and abundant flowers.

Two jasmines in perfumery

There are two main types of jasmine used in perfumery: Jasminum grandiflorum and Jasminum sambac. Jasminum grandiflorum is found in Grasse, Egypt or India and has five long petals, while Jasminum sambac is mostly grown in India and has thicker petals.

Cultural place

Melati putih is one of the three national flowers of Indonesia. It has long been considered a sacred flower in Indonesian tradition, as it symbolizes purity, sacredness, and sincerity. In the Philippines it is the national flower and is known as sampaguita.

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