''Fagraea'' is a genus of

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

s in the family

Gentianaceae Gentianaceae is a family of flowering plants of 103 genera and about 1600 species. Etymology The family takes its name from the genus '' Gentiana'', named after the Illyrian king Gentius. Distribution Distribution is cosmopolitan. Characteri ...

. It includes

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

liana A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a ta ...

s, and

epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

s. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the

center of diversity A center of origin is a geographical area where a group of organisms, either domesticated or wild, first developed its distinctive properties. They are also considered centers of diversity. Centers of origin were first identified in 1924 by Ni ...

Malesia Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the Equator and the boundaries of the Indomalayan and Australasian realms, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom. It has been given different definitions. The ...

.Motley, T. J. (2004)
The ethnobotany of ''Fagraea'' Thunb.(Gentianaceae): The timber of Malesia and the scent of Polynesia.
''Economic Botany'' 58(3) 396-409. Many ''Fagraea'' species have a variety of human uses, particularly the wood and flowers. The flowers open in the evening and are often fragrant and bat-pollinated. They are so conspicuous they have roles in

Polynesian mythology The Polynesian narrative or Polynesian mythology encompasses the oral traditions of the people of Polynesia (a grouping of Central and South Pacific Ocean island archipelagos in the Polynesian Triangle) together with those of the scattered cul ...

. They make the trees attractive as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

ings. Some are used in leis. '' Fagraea auriculata'' produces a flower over 30 centimeters wide, one of the largest flowers of any plant in the world. Many species, especially the Malesian taxa, have valuable wood. It was used to carve

tiki In Māori mythology, Tiki is the first man created by either Tūmatauenga or Tāne. He found the first woman, Marikoriko, in a pond; she seduced him and he became the father of Hine-kau-ataata. By extension, a tiki is a large or small wooden ...

s. Some have been used in

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

perfume Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...

ry, and

aromatherapy Aromatherapy is based on the usage of aromatic materials including essential oils and other aroma compounds, with claims for improving psychological and physical well-being. It is offered as a complementary therapy or as a form of alternative m ...

. The flowers are featured in the traditional artwork of various cultures. The fruits are food for many animals, including

cassowaries Cassowaries ( tpi, muruk, id, kasuari) are flightless birds of the genus ''Casuarius'' in the order Casuariiformes. They are classified as ratites (flightless birds without a keel (bird anatomy), keel on their sternum bones) and are native t ...

flying foxes ''Pteropus'' (suborder Yinpterochiroptera) is a genus of megabats which are among the largest bats in the world. They are commonly known as fruit bats or flying foxes, among other colloquial names. They live in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Austra ...

, and

civet A civet () is a small, lean, mostly nocturnal mammal native to tropical Asia and Africa, especially the tropical forests. The term civet applies to over a dozen different species, mostly from the family Viverridae. Most of the species diversity ...

Species

Plants of the World Online currently records 59 accepted species: *''

Fagraea acutibracteata ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *''

Fagraea annulata ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *'' Fagraea auriculata'' *''

Fagraea berteroana ''Fagraea berteroana'' ( orth. variant ''F. berteriana''), commonly known as the pua keni keni, pua kenikeni or perfume flower tree, is a small spreading tree or a large shrub which grows in the sub-tropics, where temperatures are 10 °C ...

'' *''

Fagraea blumei ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *''

Fagraea bodenii ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *''

Fagraea borneensis ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *''

Fagraea cameronensis ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *''

Fagraea carnosa ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *''

Fagraea carstensensis ''Fagraea carstensensis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Gentianaceae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State o ...

'' *''

Fagraea ceilanica ''Fagraea ceilanica'' is a species of small tree in the family Gentianaceae growing to heights of up to 10 metres. Typical habitat is seasonal tropical forest, but it is also grown as an ornamental tree in many places in India, Indo-China and Mal ...

'' *'' Fagraea coromandelina'' *''

Fagraea crassifolia ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *'' Fagraea curtisii'' *''

Fagraea dulitensis ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *'' Fagraea epiphytica'' *'' Fagraea euneura'' *''

Fagraea eymae ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *'' Fagraea fastigiata'' *'' Fagraea floribunda'' *'' Fagraea fraserensis'' *'' Fagraea gardeniiflora'' *'' Fagraea gardenioides'' *'' Fagraea gitingensis'' *''

Fagraea graciliflora ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in Ma ...

'' *''

Fagraea gracilipes ''Fagraea gracilipes'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Gentianaceae. It is endemic to Fiji, where it is known from only four of the islands. It is harvested for its valuable wood. In Fiji, it is threatened by overexploitation O ...

'' *'' Fagraea havilandii'' *'' Fagraea iliasii'' *'' Fagraea imperialis'' *'' Fagraea involucrata'' *''

Fagraea kalimantanensis ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in Ma ...

'' *'' Fagraea kinabaluensis'' *'' Fagraea kinghamii'' *'' Fagraea kuminii'' *'' Fagraea larutensis'' *'' Fagraea latibracteata'' *''

Fagraea litoralis ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *'' Fagraea longiflora'' *'' Fagraea longipetiolata'' *'' Fagraea macroscypha'' *'' Fagraea megalantha'' *''

Fagraea oblonga ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *''

Fagraea oreophila ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in Ma ...

'' *''

Fagraea plumeriiflora ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *'' Fagraea pyriformis'' *'' Fagraea rarissima'' *'' Fagraea renae'' *'' Fagraea resinosa'' *'' Fagraea ridleyi'' *''

Fagraea salticola ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *'' Fagraea splendens'' *'' Fagraea stonei'' *'' Fagraea tacapala'' *''

Fagraea ternatana ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *''

Fagraea truncata ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *''

Fagraea tubulosa ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *''

Fagraea tuyukii ''Fagraea'' is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in M ...

'' *'' Fagraea umbelliflora'' *'' Fagraea woodiana'' *Note, the former taxa ''

Fagraea fragrans The tembusu is a large evergreen tree in the family Gentianaceae, native to Southeast Asia (from Indo-China to New Guinea). It is the Malay language, Malay name for ''Cyrtophyllum fragrans'' (synonym ''Fagraea fragrans''). Its trunk is dark bro ...

'' Roxb. is now accepted as synonym for ''

Cyrtophyllum fragrans The tembusu is a large evergreen tree in the family Gentianaceae, native to Southeast Asia (from Indo-China to New Guinea). It is the Malay name for ''Cyrtophyllum fragrans'' (synonym ''Fagraea fragrans''). Its trunk is dark brown, with deeply ...

'' (Roxb.) DC.

Gallery

File:Naturalis Biodiversity Center - L.0939515 - Fagraea racemosa Wallich - Artwork.jpeg, ''Fagraea racemosa Wallich'', 19th century File:Naturalis Biodiversity Center - L.0939517 - Bernecker, A. - Fagraea imperialis Miquel - Artwork.jpeg, ''Fagraea imperialis Miquel'', A. Bernecker, ~1860

References

Gentianaceae genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Gentianales-stub