Pavizhamalli is a small shrub that has fragrant flowers. The flowers of Parijat have seven to eight petals on an orange-red stem. These beautiful flowers are used in many spiritual activities. This flower loses its lustre during the day and blooms at night. The leaves are opposite, simple, 6–12 cm long and 2–6.5 cm broad, with an entire margin. The flowers are fragrant, with a five- to eight-lobed white corolla with an orange-red centre; they are produced in clusters of two to seven together, with individual flowers opening at dusk and finishing at dawn. The fruit is a bilobed, flat brown heart-shaped to round capsule 2 cm (0.79 in) diameter, each lobe containing a single seed.The tree is sometimes called the "tree of sorrow", because the flowers lose their brightness during daytime.