Gardenia imperialis is a small to medium sized tree within the Rubiaceae family, it is found in swamp savannahs or forests in Tropical Africa.
| Gardenia imperialis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Genus: | Gardenia |
| Species: | G. imperialis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Gardenia imperialis | |
Description
editThe species grows up to 18 meters tall, trunk is greyish in color.[2] Leaves have a simple, opposite arrangement, and are sometime sticky, they are broadly obovate and large in outline; upper surface is glabrous while abaxial surface is sometimes velvety with ant's nesting cavity around the midrib; its leaf-blade is 15–38 cm long and 10–22 cm wide.[3][4] White fragrant flowers, it has large narrow funnel shaped corolla tubes, the outer surface of the tubes is pinkish while the inner surface is whitish.[5] Fruit is ovoid to ellipsoid in shape and reddish-brown in color.[6]
Distribution
editThe species occurs in Senegal in West Africa, eastwards to Uganda and Southwards towards Zimbabwe.[7] Grows on the margins of streams and lakes, in swamp forests and riverine areas.[2]
Chemistry
editTest on root bark extracts identified two triterpenoid compounds, 3-epi-β-amyrin and β-amyrin acetate.[8]
References
edit- ^ Schumann, K. (1896). "Beiträge zur Flora von Afrika. XIII. Rubiaceae africanae". Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie. Vol. 23. p. 442.
- ^ a b "Gardenia imperialis in Global Plants on JSTOR". plants.jstor.org. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
- ^ admin. "Gardenia imperialis". Fauna & Flora Of Liberia. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
- ^ Coates Palgrave, Keith (2002). Trees of southern Africa. R. B. Drummond, E. J. Moll, Meg Coates Palgrave (3rd ed.). Cape Town: Struik Publishers. ISBN 978-1-920572-74-7. OCLC 1100920070.
- ^ Verdcourt, B. (1979). "Notes on African Gardenia (Rubiaceae)". Kew Bulletin. 34 (2): 345–360. doi:10.2307/4109996. JSTOR 4109996.
- ^ Eggeling, W. J. (1939). A Descriptive List of the Indigenous Trees of the Uganda Protectorate. University of Edinburgh. p. 511.
- ^ Keay, R. W. J. (1958-03-31). "Randia and Gardenia in West Africa". Bulletin du Jardin botanique de l'État à Bruxelles. 28 (1): 15–72. doi:10.2307/3667018. JSTOR 3667018.
- ^ Babady-Bila; Tandu, Kulio Rovat (1987). "Triterpenoid constituents from Gardenia imperialis". Monatshefte für Chemie. 118 (10): 1195–1196. doi:10.1007/BF00811292. ISSN 0026-9247. S2CID 100934190.