Gardenia

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.

The Gardenia genus was named by Carl Linnaeus (though the name was first proposed to him in 1753 by Jane Colden, who often goes uncredited ) and John Ellis. The genus was named after Alexander Garden (1730–1791), a Scottish naturalist. The type species is Gardenia jasminoides, as first published by Ellis in 1761.

Description

Gardenia species typically grow as shrubs or small trees, however some species, such as those native to New Guinea, may grow to 20-30m tall. A small number of species found in tropical East Africa and southern Africa grow as small pyrophytic subshrubs. At least one species, Gardenia epiphytica, native to Gabon and Cameroon, grows as an epiphyte. Most species are unarmed and spineless, but some species such as some of those found in Africa are spinescent.