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 Edit this 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

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The 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

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The 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

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Test on root bark extracts identified two triterpenoid compounds, 3-epi-β-amyrin and β-amyrin acetate.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Schumann, K. (1896). "Beiträge zur Flora von Afrika. XIII. Rubiaceae africanae". Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie. Vol. 23. p. 442.
  2. ^ a b "Gardenia imperialis in Global Plants on JSTOR". plants.jstor.org. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  3. ^ admin. "Gardenia imperialis". Fauna & Flora Of Liberia. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Verdcourt, B. (1979). "Notes on African Gardenia (Rubiaceae)". Kew Bulletin. 34 (2): 345–360. doi:10.2307/4109996. JSTOR 4109996.
  6. ^ Eggeling, W. J. (1939). A Descriptive List of the Indigenous Trees of the Uganda Protectorate. University of Edinburgh. p. 511.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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.