- Gardenia thunbergia
Taxobox
name = "Gardenia thunbergia"
image_width = 250px
regnum =Plant ae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis =Magnoliopsida
ordo =Gentianales
familia =Rubiaceae
genus = "Gardenia "
species = "G. thunbergia"
binomial = "Gardenia thunbergia"
binomial_authority =L.f. "Gardenia thunbergia" is a shrub or small tree found in forest or on forest margins, occurring in the
Eastern Cape , Natal andTranskei in South Africa. Densely twiggy and rigid with smooth light-grey bark. The leaves are smooth, shiny, whorled and entire, and clustered at the ends of branchlets. The profusely-borne flowers are large, white, extremely fragrant and about 70mm in diameter with long tubes only accessible to the probosces of nocturnalhawkmoths . The fruits are hard, woody, and fibrous, about 80mm long and about 40mm in diameter, light-grey with small raised white spots and can persist on the tree for some years if not browsed by elephant or antelope."Gardenia thunbergia" was first introduced to Kew as early as 1773. It belongs to the very large family of "
Rubiaceae ", which includes plants such as coffee ("Coffea arabica "), quinine ("Cinchona ") and numerous ornamental trees and shrubs with showy flowers.Common names
* Wild Gardenia
* White Gardenia
* Forest Gardeniaee also
*
List of Southern African indigenous trees External links and references
* [http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantefg/gardenthun.htm Plantzafrica]
* [http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph42.htm Waynes Word]
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