''Atractocarpus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit", from the spindle-shaped fruit of the type species.

Taxonomy

Defined by botanists Rudolf Schlechter and

Kurt Krause Kurt Krause (April 20, 1883 in Potsdam – November 19, 1963 in Berlin) was a German botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist ...

in 1908, the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

is ''Atractocarpus bracteatus'', which is found only on

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

.Schlechter, Friedrich Richard Rudolf & Krause, Kurt. 1908. Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 40 Beibl. 92: 43. Subsequently, several other species were described from

. Meanwhile, the genera '' Randia'' and ''

Gardenia ''Gardenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Madagascar and Pacific Islands, and Australia. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus and John Ellis aft ...

'' had been used as

wastebasket taxa Wastebasket taxon (also called a wastebin taxon, dustbin taxon or catch-all taxon) is a term used by some taxonomists to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined ...

, where many species that had been difficult to place had been placed by default. Several Australian species of the genus ''Randia'' were found to be not closely related to Neotropical species and were transferred in a review of the genera by Australian botanist Christopher Puttock in 1999; these include several garden plant species such as '' A. benthamianus'', '' A. chartaceus'', and '' A. fitzalanii''. Puttock also proposed that the genera ''Sukunia'', ''Trukia'', ''Neofranciella'', and ''Sulitia'' (the last two consisting of once species each) be sunk into ''Atractocarpus''. The resulting genus now contains around forty species, with seven found in Australia, and others in the

Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia (; abbreviated FSM) is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four states from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosraethat are spread across the western Pacific. Together, the states comprise a ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

, the

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Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

, and east to

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...

. All species are found in a type of lowland rainforest known as mesophyll vine forests, as well as swamp forests and vine thickets.

Species

* '' Atractocarpus aragoensis'' Guillaumin * ''

Atractocarpus benthamianus ''Atractocarpus benthamianus'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae growing in eastern Australia. It is an understorey species of subtropical and tropical rainforest on fertile soils. The natural range of distribution is from ...

'' (

F.Muell. Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Victo ...

) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus bracteatus''

Schltr. Friedrich Richard Rudolf Schlechter (16 October 1872 – 16 November 1925) was a German taxonomist, botanist, and author of several works on orchids. He went on botanical expeditions in Africa, Indonesia, New Guinea, South and Central America a ...

& K.Krause * '' Atractocarpus carolinensis'' ( Valeton) Puttock * ''

Atractocarpus chartaceus ''Atractocarpus chartaceus'', commonly known as the narrow-leaved gardenia, is a species of evergreen flowering plant in the madder and coffee family Rubiaceae. It is mostly found in subtropical rainforest of eastern Australia, and it is cul ...

'' (

) Puttock - narrow-leaved gardenia or thin-leaved gardenia * '' Atractocarpus crosbyi'' (Burkill) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus cucumicarpus'' S.Moore * '' Atractocarpus decorus'' ( Valeton) Puttock * ''

Atractocarpus fitzalanii ''Atractocarpus fitzalanii'', the brown gardenia or yellow mangosteen, is a species of flowering plant in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae found in tropical Queensland in Australia. The beautifully scented flowers and lush growth has seen t ...

'' (

) Puttock - brown gardenia or yellow mangosteen * '' Atractocarpus heterophyllus'' (

Montrouz. Reverendus Pater Jean Xavier Hyacinthe Montrouzier (3 December 1820 – 6 May 1897) was a French Marist priest, explorer, botanist, zoologist and entomologist. Abbé Montrouzier studied the flora and fauna of Melanesia especially New Caledonia. ...

) Guillaumin & Beavis. * ''

Atractocarpus hirtus ''Atractocarpus hirtus'', commonly known as the hairy gardenia or native loquat, is a plant in the madder family Rubiaceae, a large family of some 6,500 species with a cosmopolitan distribution. This species is endemic to north-east Queensland ...

'' (

) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus longipes'' (

A.C.Sm. Albert Charles Smith (April 5, 1906 – May 23, 1999) was an American botanist who served as director of the National Museum of Natural History and Arnold Arboretum and was the former president of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists. Life ...

) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus longistipitatus'' Guillaumin * '' Atractocarpus macarthurii'' (

) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus merikin'' (

F.M.Bailey Frederick Manson Bailey (8 March 1827 – 25 June 1915) was a botanist active in Australia, who made valuable contributions to the characterisation of the flora of Queensland. He was known by his middle name, Manson. Early life Bailey was b ...

) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus oblongus'' S.Moore * '' Atractocarpus obscurinervius'' (

Merr. Elmer Drew Merrill (October 15, 1876 – February 25, 1956) was an American botanist and taxonomist. He spent more than twenty years in the Philippines where he became a recognized authority on the flora of the Asia-Pacific region. Through ...

) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus pentagonioides'' ( Seem.) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus platyxylon'' (Vieill. ex Pancher & Sebert) Guillaumin * '' Atractocarpus pterocarpon'' ( Guillaumin) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus rotundifolius'' Guillaumin * '' Atractocarpus sessilifolius'' Guillaumin * '' Atractocarpus sessilis'' (

) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus simulans'' Guillaumin * ''

Atractocarpus stipularis ''Atractocarpus stipularis'', commonly known as the green plum, is a flowering plant in the coffee family. The specific epithet alludes to its large stipules. Description ''Atractocarpus stipularis'' is a small, rounded, sparsely branched tree ...

'' (

) Puttock ex P.S.Green * '' Atractocarpus tahitiensis'' (Nadeaud) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus tenuiflorus'' (

) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus vaginatus'' Guillaumin * '' Atractocarpus versteegii'' ( Valeton) Puttock

References

External links

World Checklist of RubiaceaeFlickriver interesting photos tagged as ''Atractocarpus'' (several species)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2841202 Rubiaceae genera Flora of New Guinea Flora of New Caledonia Flora of the Philippines Flora of the Pacific Flora of Norfolk Island Flora of Queensland Flora of New South Wales