Deciduous, fast growing shrub to 5 m or more tall. Branches square in section. Leaves opposite. Leaflets 5-9, elliptic, to 6 cm long, stalkless. Flower clusters of up to 5 flowers. Sepals 0.5-1.5 cm long, narrow. Flowers white, tube mostly 13-17 mm long, lobes 7-12 mm long, overall width about 2 cm, strongly scented; summer to early autumn. [J. officinale f. affine (Lindl.) Rehder]
China, Himalaya, W Asia
Flowers are the source of various scents.
J. grandiflorum L., Spanish Jasmine, differs in having generally larger flowers, the tube mostly 15-22 mm long and lobes 8-17 mm long, leaflets long-pointed. [J. officinale L. f. grandiflorum (L.) Kobuski]. J. officinale and J. grandiflorum are often confused with one another.
Source: (2002). Oleaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.