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Gardenia tubifera Wall.

Family Name:	Rubiaceae
Synonyms:	Gardenia resinifera
Common Name:	Kula Gardenia, Pekan Heran, Water Gardenia, Chempaka Utan, Cempaka Tanjung, Delima Hutan, Jambu Batu Hutan, Kepayang Ipil, Kopeng Air, Mentiong, Golden Gardenia

Full Sun

Lots of Water

Moderate Water

Bird-Attracting Plant

Butterfly-Attracting Plant

Native to Singapore

Suitable for Roadsides

Fragrant Plant

Ornamental Flowers

Tree

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon)
Plant Growth Form	Tree
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Native Distribution	Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra and Borneo
Native Habitat	Terrestrial (Primary Rainforest, Secondary Rainforest, Riverine)
Preferred Climate Zone	Tropical

Local Conservation Status

Native to Singapore (Presumed Nationally Extinct (NEx))

Growth Form	It is a sub-canopy tree up to 25 m tall, but usually grows about 8-15 m tall under cultivation.
Foliage	Its opposite, stalked leaves have leaf blades that are elliptic to reverse egg-shaped, measuring about 12-16 cm long.
Flowers	Its flowers are white to pale yellow, but finally turning to intense orange. The corolla tubes are variable in length, 2.5-14 cm long.

Fruit	Its round fruits are pale apple-green, 2.5–5 cm wide, and split when ripe to expose many seeds in the orange to reddish pulp.
Habitat	It grows in hill and lowland forests, and often on banks of rivers.
Associated Fauna	Its flowers attract butterflies, and its fruits are eaten by birds, civets and squirrels. It is also the food plant for caterpillars of the moths, Archernis capitalis, and the pellucid hawkmoth (Cephonodes hylas).
Cultivation	It can be propagated by seed.

Landscaping	It has attractive white to pale yellow fragrant flowers that open at dusk and last for three nights. It is a tree suitable for gardens, parks and roadsides.
Desirable Plant Features	Ornamental Flowers, Fragrant (Flowers) (Day)
Landscape Uses	General, Suitable for Roadsides, Parks & Gardens, Small Gardens, Riverine

Thematic Landscaping

Golden Garden, Fragrant / Aromatherapy Garden

Fauna Pollination Dispersal Associated Fauna	Bird-Attracting (Fruits), Butterfly-Attracting (Flower Nectar)
Pollination Method(s)	Biotic (Fauna)
Seed or Spore Dispersal	Biotic (Fauna)

Rootzone Tolerance	Moist Soils, Well-Drained Soils, Fertile Loamy Soils
Maintenance Requirements	Moderate
Propagation Method	Seed

Foliar Type	Simple / Unifoliate
Foliar Arrangement Along Stem	Opposite
Foliar Attachment to Stem	Petiolate
Foliar Shape(s)	Non-Palm Foliage (Obovate, Elliptical)
Foliar Venation	Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin	Entire
Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio	3.0 (Tree - Intermediate Canopy)

Mature Fruit Colour(s)	Green
Fruit Classification	Simple Fruit
Fruit Type	Fleshy Fruit , Non-Accessory Fruit

Images

Master ID	1640
Species ID	2933
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.