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
THE MONDO DEL GIARDINO ADVICE
The only commitment required by this plant is the reorganization of the shoots which, especially in the summer, must be placed on the right supports so that unmanageable and rebellious tangles do not arise throughout the plant. In return we will receive 1000 times our effort!
Now on horseback! Work awaits us! Our new wonderful outdoor space is about to be born!
GOOD WORK and…if you have any questions, write to info@ilmondodelgiardino.com
Image sources: thanks to Pixabay and many thanks to Bishnu Sarangi for the image for social media, aruggeri for the cover and in order under james wesley, Jacques GAIMARD, Gerardo Antonio Romero, hartono subagio, Gerardo Antonio Romero, aruggeri, Gini George and nad71 for the closing photo.
