Common Gardenia (Gardenia volkensii)
Description
Gardenia volkensii is a species of small deciduous trees of the family Rubiaceae native to Southern Africa .It can reach 5 to 8 m in height and has a light gray bark.The leaves are petiolate, opposite or whorled, trifoliate spatulate with a light green.The flowers are white becoming yellow as they age, fragrant. They appear from July to October in South Africa and have a short life span.The ripe fruit resembles a small coconut 6cm in diameter and contains many seeds. They stay on the tree for a long time before falling without opening. It is consumed by elephants, buffalo and large antelopes, which ensure the distribution of seeds.Its main subspecies is Gardenia volkensii subsp. Spatulifolia which is sometimes considered a species in its own right.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Gentianales
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Family: Rubiaceae
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Genus: Gardenia
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