Rothmannia capensis

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Gentianales

Familia: Rubiaceae
Subfamilia: Ixoroideae
Tribus: Gardenieae
Genus: Rothmannia
Species: Rothmannia capensis
Name

Rothmannia capensis Thunb., 1776.
Synonyms

Homotypic
Gardenia capensis (Thunb.) Druce,Bot. Exch. Club Soc. Brit. Isles 1916: 624. 1917.
Heterotypic
Gardenia rothmannia L.f., Suppl. Pl.: 165. 1782.
Randia bellatula K.Schum., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 33: 342. 1903.

References

Thunberg, C.P. 1776. Kongl. Vetenskaps Academiens Handlingar. Stockholm 37: 67, t. 2.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Rothmannia capensis in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 07-Oct-06.

Rothmannia capensis is a South African tree belonging to the Rubiaceae, usually about 5 m high in the open, but reaching 20 m under forest conditions. It occurs from the south-western Cape Province along the coastal regions and inland to the Waterberg and Soutpansberg in the Transvaal. It is a common tree on the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. It produces abundant sweetly fragrant flowers in summer, and these are followed by smooth, dark green spherical fruits about 80mm in diameter. The blackish bark has a distinctive rectangular pattern of fine cracks.

The genus was named for Göran Rothman (1739–1778) by Thunberg – both were pupils of Linnaeus.