''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit", from the spindle-shaped fruit of the type species.

Taxonomy

Defined by botanists Rudolf Schlechter and Kurt Krause in 1908, the type species 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 Philippines, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu,

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, and east to Tahiti. 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 ''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit", fr ...

'' Guillaumin * '' Atractocarpus benthamianus'' ( F.Muell.) Puttock * ''

Atractocarpus bracteatus ''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit", fr ...

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 Kurt Krause (April 20, 1883 in Potsdam – November 19, 1963 in Berlin) was a German botanist who wrote 33 articles and five books on the flora and vegetation of Turkey about 9300 species of vascular plant were known to grow in Turkey. By comp ...

* ''

Atractocarpus carolinensis ''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit", fr ...

'' ( Valeton) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus chartaceus'' ( F.Muell.) Puttock - narrow-leaved gardenia or thin-leaved gardenia * ''

Atractocarpus crosbyi ''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit" ...

'' (Burkill) Puttock * ''

Atractocarpus cucumicarpus ''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit" ...

S.Moore Spencer Le Marchant Moore (1 November 1850 – 14 March 1931) was an English botanist. Biography Moore was born in Hampstead. He worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, from about 1870 to 1879, wrote a number of botanical papers, and then wo ...

* ''

Atractocarpus decorus ''Atractocarpus decorus'' is a plant in the coffee family Rubiaceae which is endemic to New Guinea. Like many others in the genus, it has glossy dark green leaves and attractive white flowers. Description ''Atractocarpus decorus'' is a large ...

'' ( Valeton) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus fitzalanii'' ( F.Muell.) Puttock - brown gardenia or yellow mangosteen * ''

Atractocarpus heterophyllus ''Atractocarpus heterophyllus'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. The plant is native to southeastern New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia ce ...

'' (

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'' ( F.Muell.) Puttock * ''

Atractocarpus longipes ''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit" ...

'' ( A.C.Sm.) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus longistipitatus'' Guillaumin * '' Atractocarpus macarthurii'' ( F.Muell.) Puttock * ''

Atractocarpus merikin ''Atractocarpus merikin'', commonly known as the mountain gardenia or merikin, is a plant in the Rubiaceae family endemic to northeast Queensland, Australia. Description ''Atractocarpus merikin'' is an evergreen shrub growing up to in heig ...

'' ( F.M.Bailey) Puttock * ''

Atractocarpus oblongus ''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit" ...

* ''

Atractocarpus obscurinervius ''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit" ...

'' (

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 ''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit", fr ...

'' ( Seem.) Puttock * ''

Atractocarpus platyxylon ''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit" ...

'' (Vieill. ex Pancher & Sebert) Guillaumin * '' Atractocarpus pterocarpon'' ( Guillaumin) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus rotundifolius'' Guillaumin * ''

Atractocarpus sessilifolius ''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit", fr ...

'' Guillaumin * '' Atractocarpus sessilis'' ( F.Muell.) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus simulans'' Guillaumin * '' Atractocarpus stipularis'' ( F.Muell.) Puttock ex P.S.Green * ''

Atractocarpus tahitiensis ''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit" ...

'' (Nadeaud) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus tenuiflorus'' ( A.C.Sm.) Puttock * '' Atractocarpus vaginatus'' Guillaumin * ''

Atractocarpus versteegii ''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit" ...

'' ( 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