Gardenia ovularis F.M.Bailey

Bailey, F.M. (1893) Queensland Dept Agric. Bull. No. 21: Bot. Bull. No. 7 : 64. Type: Johnstone River, Dr. T.L. Bancroft; lecto: BRI (AQ 317839); iso: BRI, K, MEL. Fide Puttock (1988). Syntype: Barron River, E. Cowley.

Gardenia; Native Gardenia

Blaze distinctly layered.

Stipules completely encircling the twigs. Young shoots and young stipules often sticky or varnished. Leaf blades about 7-21 x 3-8 cm.

Calyx lobes about 5-15 mm long, corolla lobes about 12-30 mm long. Corolla tube tubiform. Anthers partially exserted from the corolla tube. Stigma white.

Fruits ovoid, about 30-40 x 20-38 mm, +/- circular in transverse section. Seeds brown to reddish brown. Placental pulp cream to pink.

Cotyledons broadly elliptic to +/- orbicular, about 4-5 mm long. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves obovate, apex shortly acuminate, base attenuate, glabrous, veins about 8-16 each side of the midrib; stipules interpetiolar, triangular. Seed germination time 26 to 45 days.

Endemic to NEQ and in the northern end of CEQ on Mt Elliot. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 1150 m. Grows as an understory tree in well developed rain forest on a variety of sites.

Seeds eaten by native rats. Cooper & Cooper (1994).