Gelsemium
Gelsemium, a genus of woody evergreen vines. There are two species native to Asia. Another species, the Carolina jasmine, is found in the southern United States and is the state flower of South Carolina. (It is also called yellow jasmine, yellow jessamine, and Carolina jessamine.) This species is a climbing vine 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 m) long, with glossy, lance-shaped leaves that grow opposite each other on the stems. The fragrant, yellow, funnel-shaped flowers grow in clusters. The fruit is a short, flat pod containing winged seeds. Gelsemium may be grown from seeds or cuttings. It thrives in ordinary garden soil and is often grown as a porch vine.
The gelsemium's roots yield a poisonous drug also called gelsemium. It is an effective sedative and is a treatment for malaria, rheumatism, neuralgia, and fevers. It is rarely used, however, because an overdose may be fatal.
The Carolina yellow jessamine is Gelsemium sempervirens of the logania family, Loganiaceae.