Overview
The word jasmine is derived from the Arabic word "yasmin," which means fragrant flower. Jasmine often has white or yellow star-shaped flowers that grow on vines or as shrubbery. The genus jasmine, botanically named jasminum, is part of Oleaceae, or olive, family. Other spellings for jasmine through the ages have included jessamine, gessamine, jasmin, jessamy and jeshamy, according to Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum.
Read more: The History of the Jasmine Flower | Garden Guides http://www.gardenguides.com/138962-history-jasmine-flower.html#ixzz3XY7ruSaC