Family:  Apocynaceae
Scientific name:  Stephanotis floribunda
Common name:  Madagascar jasmine

Native of:  Madagascar

Greenhouse location:  Room A

Stephanotis floribunda is also known as S. jasminoides. Although both scientific and common names suggest it is a relative of jasmine, S. floribunda is more closely related to the American milkweed. The sweet fragrance produced by its blooms is reminiscent of jasmine, thus the reason behind the nod to jasmine when naming the plant.

This evergreen woody vine can grow up to 20 feet. It produces an abundance of pure white, waxy, star-shaped flowers in clusters that are wedding favorites—used in bouquets, corsages, and decorations—attributing to such other common names as Hawaiian wedding flower and bridal wreath. The sweet scent of the long-lasting flowers turns sour, however, as the blooms begin to fade.

S. floribunda produces 4-inch seed pods, each pod containing 70 to 100 flattened seeds with silky "parachutes" (aiding in wind dispersal) that resemble the seeds of the American milkweed.