''Rosenbergiodendron formosum ''is a species of

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 t ...

in the

madder ''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae family of flowering plants, which also contains coffee. It contains around 80 species of perennial scrambling or climbing herbs and subshrubs native to the Old World. The genus and its best-know ...

and coffee 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 ...

, and is native to

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

, and

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

. Common names include blackberry jam fruit, raspberry bush, and ''jasmin de rosa''.

Description

''Rosenbergiodendron formosum'' grows as small evergreen bush-shrubs, usually only to a height of 4–5 feet tall if planted in the ground or 3–4 feet if planted in a container. It can also be physically transformed into a miniature tree known as a

bonsai Bonsai ( ja, 盆栽, , tray planting, ) is the Japanese art of growing and training miniature trees in pots, developed from the traditional Chinese art form of '' penjing''. Unlike ''penjing'', which utilizes traditional techniques to produc ...

. This plant, closely related to the

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 af ...

, produces white flowers that are 1.5–2 inches in diameter. The flowers are star shaped, tubular, very fragrant and tend to attract nocturnal moths. The olive-shaped yellow fruits are wood shelled, about 1 inch in diameter, and look like small loquats. They can be easily crushed when chewed. The fruit contains two cells with small flat seeds surrounded by sweet, black, soft pulp that tastes like blackberry jam.

References

Gardenieae Plants described in 1948 Flora of Colombia Flora of Ecuador Flora of Panama Flora of Venezuela {{Ixoroideae-stub