From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
jasmine
n : any of several shrubs and vines of the genus Jasminum
chiefly native to Asia
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Jasmine \Jas"mine\, n. [F. jasmin, Sp. jazmin, Ar.
y[=a]sm[imac]n, Pers. y[=a]sm[imac]n; cf. It. gesmino,
gelsomino. Cf. Jessamine.] (Bot.)
A shrubby plant of the genus Jasminum, bearing flowers of a
peculiarly fragrant odor. The Jasminum officinale, common
in the south of Europe, bears white flowers. The Arabian
jasmine is Jasminum Sambac, and, with {Jasminum
angustifolia}, comes from the East Indies. The yellow false
jasmine in the Gelseminum sempervirens (see Gelsemium).
Several other plants are called jasmine in the West Indies,
as species of Calotropis and Faramea. [Written also
jessamine.]
[1913 Webster]
Cape jasmine, or Cape jessamine, the Gardenia florida,
a shrub with fragrant white flowers, a native of China,
and hardy in the Southern United States.
[1913 Webster]