PLANT OF THE WEEK 25th week 28-09-2015 Gardenia latifolia Aiton. Botanical Name : Uses Gardenia latifolia Aiton. The fleshy, purplish-coloured pulp of the fruit is eaten by forest dwellers. The seeds and roots are used for folk medicine as Synonyms (s) : Gardenia calyculata herbal remedies for stomach ailments and fevers. The leaves Roxb. used for flexible moulds to bake chapattis in, with their raised veins leaving a beautiful impress on the soft dough, especially in Family : Rubiaceae forest fringe village. Local Name Gardenia latifolia The wood is durable and used for making carved combs, turnery articles, light furniture, English : Ceylon Boxwood toys, mathematical instruments, wooden utensils, etc. Hindi : Papra, Paphar, Ban-pindalu Odiya : Papra, Damkurudu, Dimaru, a jungle tree, but highly Fruit-eating birds and herbivore animals consume the fruit in large quantity. Danbasu, Kurlu, Damru potential ornamental plant. Telugu : Pedda bikki, Pedda Karingura, Gaiger Description Habitat Common in open forests and rocky hills; Small or medium sized deciduous tree. even planted as ornamental . Bark smooth, pale, shoots stout, buds resinous. Distribution Leaves opposite or rarely ternate, sub-sessile, broadly elliptic, orbicular or obovate, upto 37 x 18 cm, obtuse or rounded, secondary nerves strong, reaching nearly to the margin, glandular hairy in the axils Tropical and Sub-tropical regions of beneath, base narrowed, young leaves pubescent beneath; stipules with a broad ovate and cuspidate de- Asia, Africa and Madagascar. Throughout India, ciduous limb, the lower part persistent, connate sometimes becomes detached at the base and remaining Source In Odisha ( Bargarh, Sambalpur, as a movable tube, 5-6.2 mm long on the twig. Inflorescence pseudo-axillary or terminal, fascicled to Similipal, Kalahandi, Nuapada, cymose and several flowered or reduced to 1 flower. Khordha ) Krishen Pradip.(2013). Jungle trees of Flowers sessile, bisexual, large, solitary 7.5-10 cm diam., usually borne when the leaves are small; Central India, a field guide for tree spotter, peduncles short. Calyx 1.2-2 cm long somewhat mealy and pubescent, somewhat ridged by the pp: 130-131. Flowering : March -April decurrent calyx-lobes; calyx-lobes very unequal, subulate, apiculate. Mahapatra, A. K & Panda, P.C.(2009). Wild Edible Fruit Plants of Eastern India, Fruiting : December— June Corolla white to cream, tubes 5-6.2 cm long funnel-shaped above, hairy, lobes 5-9, usually over 7. Regional Plant Resource Centre, Stamens 8-12, inserted in corolla throat, included or partially exerted. Anthers dorsifixed, partly pp: 142-143. exserted. Ovary 1 celled, ovules numerous on 2-6 parietal placentas, stigma clavate or 2-lobed, included or exserted. Saxena, H.O. & Brahmam, M. (1994). Conservation Status The Flora of Orissa, Vol. II, pp: 824. Fruit generally yellow to orange, globose, 3.7-5 cm diam., slightly scabrous. www. wikipedia.org Not Evaluated www. theplantlist.org .