FoI
Long-Style Gardenia
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Long-Style Gardenia
P Introduced Photo: Aarti Khale
Common name: Long-Style Gardenia
Botanical name: Macrosphyra longistyla    Family: Rubiaceae (Coffee family)
Synonyms: Gardenia longistyla, Randia longistyla

Long-Style Gardenia is a climbing shrub producing long, arching stems up to 4 m long that often clamber into other plants for support. It produces very fragrant creamy-white flowers which have style prominently protruding out up to 10 cm long, with orange sticky nectar. Stamen filaments are fused to the flower tube. Leaves are obovate to circular, hairy and crumpled, 9-19 cm long, with a wavy margin. The fruits is a green berry up to 5 cm across. Young leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable in Africa. Long-Style Gardenia is native to Africa, cultivated as a garden plant in India.
Medicinal uses: The leaves and flowers are used in traditional medicine in parts of Africa. The roots are diuretic and are used to treat kidney problems.

Identification credit: Aarti Khale Photographed in Lalbagh, Bangalore.

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