Taxonomic Position of the Genus Nyctanthes

The genus Nyctanthes with only one species N. arbor-tristis Linn. having flowers like that of Jasminum was originally induded in Oleaceae. In view of its strongly quadrangular stem and its apparent resemblance to Tectona and other members of the family Verbenaceae, Airy Shaw (1952) placed the genus in a new subfamily under the family Verbenaceae. Stant (1952) gave some anatomical evidence for the inclusion of Nyctanthes in the Verbenaceae. On the basis of comparative study of Nyctanthes, along with some members of Oleaceae, Verbenaceae and Loganiaceae on cytology, general anatomy of stem and leaf, wood anatomy, floral anatomy and palynology and also on the preliminary data of the chemical constituents present in the plants, the authors state that Nyctanthes has not much affinity to the members of the Verbenaceae, although it has some similarity with several oleaceous members. After taking all points into consideration this genus is assigned to a new family Nyctanthaceae.