Yellow jessamine, commonly known as Japanese gelsemine, is a toxic plant in the family Loganiaceae. Symptoms of toxicity in both animals and humans have been noted after consuming the plant. The toxin is the alkaloid, gelsemine. Gelsemine can cause a variety of neurological symptoms, including strychnine-like involuntary muscular contractions.
What is Yellow jessamine?
Gelsemium sempervirens, also known as Yellow Jessamine, is a tropical plant in the Gelsemiaceae family. It is native to eastern Asia and is often cultivated. Gelsemium sempervirens is a biennial herb that can grow to a height of 2-12 ft (60-365 cm). The leaves are in pairs, each with 7-15 leaves. The leaves are opposite, linear, oblong, 5-20 cm (2-8 in) long and 2-10 cm (0.8-4 in) wide, with a long petiolate base. The flowers are yellow to bluish-violet, borne at the end of a long, slender stem in a dense, pendulous head. The