''Gardenia taitensis'', also called Tahitian gardenia or tiaré flower, is a species 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 excl ...

in the family

Rubiaceae The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules a ...

. It is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

tropical shrub Tropical vegetation is any vegetation in tropical latitudes. Plant life that occurs in climates that are warm year-round is in general more biologically diverse that in other latitudes. Some tropical areas may receive abundant rain the whole y ...

that grows to tall and has glossy dark green leaves that are long and are oppositely arranged along the stem. The flower is creamy white and pinwheel-shaped with 5–9 lobes, each long and fragrant. Native to the highland shores of the

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, it has the distinction of being one of the few cultivated plants native to

Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...

. It is the

national flower In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to ...

French Polynesia )Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze") , anthem = , song_type = Regional anthem , song = "Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" , image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of French ...

and the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

. The name Tahitian gardenia is somewhat a misnomer because it is neither native nor naturalized in

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 Austra ...

. The first acceptable scientific name for the plant was based on Tahitian specimens collected by

Jules Dumont d'Urville Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville (; 23 May 1790 – 8 May 1842) was a French explorer and naval officer who explored the south and western Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica. As a botanist and cartographer, he gave his nam ...

in 1824. Hence the scientific name of ''Gardenia taitensis'', and the English name of Tahitian gardenia or Tiaré flower. It was first collected in Tahiti, by the Forsters on Captain Cook's first Pacific voyage (1768–1771), although it was misidentified as

Gardenia jasminoides ''Gardenia jasminoides'', commonly known as gardenia, is an evergreen flowering plant in the coffee family Rubiaceae. It is native to parts of South-East Asia. Wild plants range from 30 centimetres to 3 metres (about 1 to 10 feet) in height. Th ...

. The plant originates from

Melanesia Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea. The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, V ...

and Western Polynesia. It is an aboriginal introduction to the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

and

and possibly

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

Common uses

Monoï oil

This oil is used mainly for cosmetic purposes as a hair or skin treatment. In order to obtain the

monoi oil Monoï oil is an infused perfume-oil made from soaking the petals of Tahitian gardenias (best known as Tiaré flowers) in coconut oil. Monoï (pronounced Mah-noy) is a Tahitian word meaning "scented oil" in the Reo-Maohi language. Monoï is wid ...

(pronounced Mah-noy), tiare flowers are infused in

coconut oil frameless , right , alt = A cracked coconut and a bottle of coconut oil Coconut oil (or coconut butter) is an edible oil derived from the wick, meat, and milk of the coconut palm fruit. Coconut oil is a white solid fat; in warmer climates du ...

. Monoï is a Tahitian word meaning "scented oil" in the Reo-Maohi language language. The maceration must last at least ten days and requires at least ten Tiare flowers per liter of refined oil. This manufacturing process, common to all producers of "monoï de Tahiti", is a method similar to "enfleurage" ''(see enfleurage)'' in perfumery. Tiaré is also used in niche perfumery but its prohibitively high cost excludes use in commercial perfumery. Notable examples include ''Tiare'' by Ormonde Jayne launched in 2009 and ''Tiare'' by Chantecaille. The Tiaré flowers are hand picked and then laid unopened in oil for 15 days to obtain the

extract An extract is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol, oil or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures, absolutes or in powder form. The aromatic principles of many spices, nuts ...

Flower necklaces

Polynesian people in the

pacific islands Collectively called the Pacific Islands, the islands in the Pacific Ocean are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of se ...

use the extremely fragrant blooms in their flower necklaces, which are called "Ei" in the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

, "Hei" in

or " Lei" in

. In some Pacific island

traditions A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays o ...

, wearing a flower indicates relationship status. A flower worn on the left ear means the person is taken and on the right ear means available.

Herbal medicine

The plant is used in traditional

herbalism Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern reme ...

. For example, in

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 ...

a bark infusion is dripped into the nose, eyes, and mouth to treat " ghost sickness". In

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

, parts of the plant are used for

inflammation Inflammation (from la, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molec ...

.Polynesian herbal medicine By W. Arthur Whistler (1992) p. 52, 69, 15
Google Books
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Gallery

File:Starr 070221-4650 Gardenia sp..jpg, File:Starr 080117-1711 Gardenia taitensis.jpg, File:Starr 070221-4645 Gardenia sp..jpg, File:Tiare Tahiti.jpg, File:Starr 070221-4638 Gardenia sp..jpg,

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1245878 taitensis Flora of the Southwestern Pacific Crops originating from the Pacific Tropical flora Medicinal plants of Oceania