IDENTIFICATION

Scientific name:

Rhyncospermum jasminoides

Italian common name:

Rincospermo o false jasmine / Star of Toscane

Family:

Apocynaceae

Origin:

native to the Far East: China, Japan, Vietnam and Taiwan

Environment:

it tolerates both heat and cold, but not strong and prolonged frosts.

Evergreen or deciduous:

evergreen

Toxicity:

All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested. buttermilk may cause skin irritation and photoallergic reactions in sensitive individuals. The flower contains alkaloids which, if ingested, can cause paralysis and even death.

PLANT RECOGNITION

Height:

from 8 m to 10 m

Width (extension):

in climbers it is not representative.

Habit:

Climbing, creeping, hanging

Leaf:

Intense green color, opposite, oval and lanceolate in shape, shiny and leathery. The young leaves are light green.

Flower:

White flowers gathered in bunches of 8-10 with a star-shaped and tube-shaped corolla with five petals, hermaphrodites

Flowering:

from May to June

Fruit:

The fruit is shaped like a long capsule which opens when ripe and disperses the seeds

Stem:

The Rhyncosperm almost never forms a real trunk, but is made up of several trunks, very branched from the base. The new shoots are reddish-brown, long and extremely flexible, so much so that they spiral around anything they encounter, most often forming a tangle of branches.
As the years pass, the bark tends to take on a gray color and crack.

Property:

in traditional Chinese medicine it is used for the treatment of rheumatism and other inflammatory pain.

Parfume:

very intense, pleasant and sweet

NEED

Maintenance:

Low. Nothing except for the direction of the shoots.

Light Exposure:

It likes full sun but can also tolerate partial shade.

Soil type:

acid, sandy, stony soil, well drained and rich in nutrients

Soil acidity:

pH 6,5 – 7,0

Italian climatic area:

it can be cultivated throughout Italy up to the first mountains. It resists up to 0° or slightly below.

Need for water:

It requires regular watering, but resists short periods of drought.

Propagation:

from seed

Pruning:

It is not necessary other than training and, if necessary, containment. It fears excessive pruning of the main branches, which can cause slow growth.

Diseases:

Cochineal, aphids and red spider

PARTICULARITY

The botanical name comes from Greek and refers to the fact that the seeds (spermum) are in the “throat” (trachelos) of the flowers.

We can distinguish false jasmine from real jasmine (Jasminum officinalis) by some important differences. The Rhyncosperm is evergreen, it has a leatherier, darker leaf (except for the young leaves which are light), shiny and thick than the light, light green and opaque one of the jasmine.

The petals of the flower are inserted on the corolla rotated clockwise. Flowering is shorter and the scent is more decisive and sweetish than delicate with harsh notes of jasmine.

It is more resistant and luxuriant even in non-comfortable situations. Both cannot climb on their own, but the ricospermo has a thicker and heavier foliage which is therefore useful for shading arbours and gazebos all year round.

Finally, as we have already said in the properties, Rincospermo is toxic, while with jasmine you can also make sweets and infusions.

Annotations

Plant resistant to smog and pollution.

It is usually grown in the garden, to cover railings separating gardens, for pergolas, flower walls and hedges. However, if grown on terraces, pots of at least 40 cm (bottom) must be used as it has a large root system.

It is not afraid of frost and salt, so it can also be planted near the sea.

In the kitchen:

It is not used