Narrow-leaved gardenia | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Gentianales |
Family: | Rubiaceae |
Genus: | Atractocarpus |
Species: | A. chartaceus |
Binomial name | |
Atractocarpus chartaceus | |
Synonyms [3] | |
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Atractocarpus chartaceus, commonly known as the narrow-leaved gardenia, is a species of evergreen flowering plant in the coffee family Rubiaceae. It is found in subtropical rainforest of eastern Queensland, Australia, and it is cultivated for its fragrant flowers and colourful fruit.
Atractocarpus chartaceus is an understory shrub or small tree growing up to 6 m (20 ft) in height under ideal conditions, with a stem diameter up to 7.5 cm (3.0 in). [4] [5] The trunk is crooked and asymmetrical at the base. The bark is brownish grey, and relatively smooth with some wrinkles or horizontal cracks. The tips of the branchlets have fawn hairs.
The leaves are dark green and glabrous on the upper surface, and dull grey-green below. [4] [5] They may be opposite and decussate, or arranged in whorls or 3 or 4. [4] [5] [6] The juvenile leaves are very long and narrow, measuring up to 25 by 1 cm (9.8 by 0.4 in), while the mature leaves are broadly oblanceolate, measuring up to 15.5 by 5 cm (6.1 by 2.0 in). [4] [5] They have 8-11 pairs of secondary veins (i.e. the veins that branch off from the midrib) which are quite prominent on both surfaces. [4] [5] The leaves are often marked by the trail of a leaf miner.
This species is dioecious, meaning that female and male flowers are borne on separate plants. [4] [5] The inflorescences are either terminal or axillary and include one, two or three flowers. [4] [5] [6] The individual flowers are actinomorphic and either 5 or 6 merous (i.e. with 5 or 6 petals and sepals), [4] [5] and quite fragrant. [5] [7] [8] Flowering occurs from August to October. [6] [9] [10]
The fruits are a berry in botanical terms, measuring 15 to 30 mm (0.59 to 1.18 in) long and 7 to 18 mm (0.28 to 0.71 in) in diameter. [5] [6] [7] They are orange or red, finely hairy and the remains of the calyx tube is attached at the distal end. [4] [5] [6] Fruits contain a sweet edible pulp with several 4 to 5 mm (0.16 to 0.20 in) seeds embedded in it. [5] [8] They ripen from April to August. [8] [9] [10]
The German naturalist and Victorian Government botanist, Ferdinand von Mueller, originally described this species in 1860 as Gardenia chartacea, publishing it in his work Essay on the plants collected by Mr Eugene Fitzalan during Lieut. Smith's Expedition to the Estuary of the Burdekin. [11] In 1875 he revised the name in his monumental work Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae , transferring it to a new genus with the combination Randia chartacea. [12] More than one hundred years later, in 1999, it was revised by botanists Christopher Francis Puttock and Christopher John Quinn who placed the species in its current genus Atractocarpus. [13]
The genus name Atractocarpus is created from the Ancient Greek atractos (spindle) and karpos (fruit). It refers to the shape of the fruit of the type species, Atractocarpus bracteatus . The species epithet chartaceus is derived from the Latin word charta (paper), which is a reference to the thin papery leaves. [9] [14]
The natural range of the narrow-leaved gardenia is coastal subtropical forests of eastern Australia, from the Richmond River, New South Wales, (about 29°S) to Gladstone, Queensland (about 23°S). There is also a small, very disjunct population in Eungella National Park west of Mackay (about 21°S), some 370 km (230 mi) to the north. [4] [5] [6] [7] Puttock surmises that the disjunction is a result of a lack of observations/collections, rather than the plant being absent from the area. [4]
It is usually found on basaltic and alluvial soils where the annual rainfall is between 1,300 and 1,600 mm (51 and 63 in). [4]
Atractocarpus chartaceus has been identified as a host plant for the leaf mining larvae of the genus Gracillariidae. [15]
This species is listed by both the IUCN and the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern. [1] [2]
Atractocarpus chartaceus has been in cultivation in Australia for some years. [9] It is an attractive garden ornamental with its glossy foliage, scented flowers and colourful fruit, and the flowers attract numerous birds and insects to the garden. [7] [8] It prefers a shady position and good drainage. [7] [8] [9] . It can be propagated from fresh seed, which may take a few months but is usually successful, or from cuttings of the current season's growth. [7] [9]
Gardenia is a genus of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Madagascar, Pacific Islands, and Australia.
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Melicope micrococca, commonly known as hairy-leaved doughwood or white euodia, is a species of shrub or slender tree in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It has trifoliate leaves and white flowers borne in panicles in leaf axils.
Atractocarpus fitzalanii, commonly known as the brown gardenia or yellow mangosteen, is a species of plant in the coffee and madder family Rubiaceae. It is found in coastal parts of tropical Queensland, Australia. The beautifully scented flowers and glossy foliage has seen this plant enter cultivation in gardens of eastern Australia.
Atractocarpus benthamianus is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae growing in eastern Australia. It is an understorey species of subtropical and tropical rainforest on fertile soils. The natural range of distribution is from Forster, New South Wales to central Queensland. This plant features beautifully scented flowers.
Atractocarpus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms atractos "spindle", and karpos "fruit", from the spindle-shaped fruit of the type species.
Dendrocnide photiniphylla, the shining-leaved stinging tree, is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It occurs from near the Colo River northwest of Sydney to Cooktown in tropical Queensland. A versatile species, it occurs in many different rainforest types. The specific epithet photiniphylla translates to shining leaf. The generic name translates to stinging tree.
Carnarvonia araliifolia, commonly known as the red oak, red silky oak, Caledonian oak or elephant's foot, is the sole species in the monotypic genus Carnarvonia, a member of the Proteaceae plant family. It is endemic to the rainforests of northeastern Queensland.
Palmeria scandens, commonly known as anchor vine or pomegranate vine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Monimiaceae and is native to Queensland, New South Wales and New Guinea. It is a woody vine with elliptic to oblong leaves and male and female flowers borne on separate plants, male flowers usually with thirty to forty stamens and female flowers with about ten carpels. The fruit is green, splitting to form a pinkish receptacle with 3 to 7 black or red drupes.
Goodenia armitiana, commonly known as narrow-leaved goodenia or fine goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to northern Australia. It is an erect herb with sticky or vanished cylindrical leaves, racemes of yellow flowers with leaf-like bracts at the base, and more or less spherical fruit.
Gardenia actinocarpa is a rare and endangered plant in the coffee and gardenia family Rubiaceae, native to a very restricted area within the Wet Tropics rainforest of northeastern Queensland.
Atractocarpus hirtus, commonly known as the hairy gardenia or native loquat, is a plant in the coffee family Rubiaceae, a large family of some 6,500 species with a cosmopolitan distribution. This species is endemic to northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Christopher Francis Puttock, often cited as C.F.Puttock, is an Australian botanist and taxonomist who has interests in the Rubiaceae and Asteraceae flowering plant families as well as Pteridophyta (ferns) and Rhodophyta.
Pomaderris elachophylla, commonly known as lacy pomaderris, small leaf pomaderris or small-leaf dogwood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a slender shrub with densely hairy branchlets, egg-shaped leaves, and cream-coloured flowers arranged singly or in clusters in leaf axils.
Atractocarpus merikin, commonly known as the mountain gardenia or merikin, is a plant in the Rubiaceae family endemic to northeast Queensland, Australia.
Pittosporum ferrugineum, commonly known as the rusty pittosporum or rusty-leaved pittosporum, is an evergreen plant in the family Pittosporaceae native to Malesia, Papuasia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.
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