Gardenia psidioides Puttock

Puttock, C.F. (1988) Austrobaileya 2(5): 440. Type: Queensland, 36.4 km E of Moreton Telegraph Station, 12 27 S, 142 54 E, 21 Jul. 984, Puttock UNSW16953 & King; holo: BRI; iso: K, NSW, MEL, QRS.

Hann Gardenia; Gardenia, Hann

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub about 1 m tall.

Stipules about 12-25 mm long, resinous, completely encircling the twigs. Leaves somewhat scabrous on the upper surface. Leaf blades about 3.5-13 x 1.5-5 cm. Petioles about 0.2-0.9 cm long. Lateral veins straight and parallel.

Calyx cylindrical, tube (hypanthium) about 3-5 mm long, keeled on the back, lobes linear, about 2-15 mm long. Corolla tube cylindrical, about 15-17 mm long, lobes about 16-30 mm long. Anthers about 7-8 mm long; anthers included in the corolla tube.

Fruit elongate-ellipsoid, about 40-50 x 14-20 mm, hexagonal in transverse section. Calyx lobes usually persistent at the apex. Seeds about 2.1-3.8 mm diam. Cotyledons ovate or elliptic, slightly wider than the radicle.

Features not available.

Endemic to CYP, known only from the Hann Creek area east of Moreton Telegraph Station and the Olive River to Temple Bay area. Altitudinal range quite small, from 50-150 m. Grows as an understory plant in monsoon forest and vine thickets, occasionally in open eucalypt forest.

A very useful plant in horticulture, producing white flowers, as an upright or prostrate shrub. Prostrate forms make an excellent ground cover.