Marsdenia floribunda (Madagascar jasmine)

Japanese name: マダガスカルジャスミン
Scientific name: Marsdenia floribunda

[Overview]
An evergreen climbing perennial.
Damaging the stems or leaves produces a white milky sap.
Leaves are simple and opposite, elliptic, 7–8 cm long and 4 cm wide, leathery and thick.
The leaf surface is glossy and the margin is entire.
Umbel-like cymes arise from the leaf axils and bear 6–7 flowers.
The flowers are white, tubular, 3 cm across and 4 cm long; the corolla is thick and has 5 lobes at the tip.
The fruit is a follicle, and the seeds have white hairs.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.
Cut the stems into pieces of 1–2 nodes, immediately wash the cut ends with water or soak them in water to rinse off the milky white sap, and then insert them.
At 15–20°C, roots form in about a month.
It keeps growing if kept at 15°C or above, and can overwinter outdoors if not exposed to frost, but potted plants are safer brought indoors to a sunny spot in winter.
It prefers sunny, well-drained soil.
Direct midsummer sun scorches the leaves, so provide shade or move it to an airy spot in partial shade.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries from spring to autumn, and keep it on the dry side in winter.
In spring to summer, apply slow-release chemical fertilizer about once a month.
Pests include aphids and scale insects.

[Notes]
The Japanese name was given because the shape and scent of the flowers resemble jasmine.

View this page in Japanese (日本語)