JASMINE, or JESSAMINE, JasMinum, at genus of plants of the natural order jas mintecem. This order is allied to oleacece, and contains about 100 species of shrubs, some of them climbing, and many of them having exquisitely fragrant flowers. They are chiefly natives of the warm parts of Asia. Many belong to the genus jasmine, which haS its calyx and corolla each 5 or 8-cleft, two stamens attached to and included within the tube of the corolla, and a two-lobed berry, one of the lobes generally abortive. The name jasmine is from the Arabic yasmeen. The COMMON JASMINE (J. offleinale) is it native of the s. of Asia, but row naturalized in the s. of Europe, and as far north as the Tyrol and Switzerland. In more northern regions, it is much cultivated in gardens, but does not easily endure very severe winters. It is a shrub from 6 to 10 ft. high, with evergreen pinnate leaves, the terminal leaflet the largest, and very fragrantelic flowers. The flowers were formerly employed in medicine,' for strengthening tirt• ner
vous system, but are now only used for preparing oil qf jasmine, a delicious perfume. The commercial oil of jasmine, however, is not the pure essential oil, but merely oil of ben flavored with it, and is prepared by placing layers of the flowers alternately with layers of cotton soaked in oil -of ben.—J. grandiflorum, a native of the East Indies, has flowers still more fragrant, from which, and from those of sambae, oil of jasmine is also made. The flowers of J. sambac arc often scattered about in houses and temples in the East Indies, to diffuse their fragrance.—Several other species, some with erect, and some with twining stems, are not uncommon in gardens and green-houses. Some have white, and some have yellow flowers.—Oil of jasmine cannot be obtained from jasmine flowers by distillation.