Fagraea cambagei
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fagraea cambagei, commonly known as porcelain fruit, pink jitta, or yellowheart,[1] is a plant in the family Gentianaceae which is endemic to rainforested parts of coastal northeast Queensland, Australia.
| Porcelain fruit | |
|---|---|
| |
| In flower at the Cairns Botanic Gardens | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Gentianaceae |
| Genus: | Fagraea |
| Species: | F. cambagei |
| Binomial name | |
| Fagraea cambagei | |
Description
This is an evergreen tree growing up to 20 m (66 ft) in height,[4][5] and the trunk of the tree is often marked with a plaited or woven pattern (see gallery).[6] The leaves are simple (i.e., without lobes or divisions) with an opposite arrangement. They are held on thick petioles (stems) measuring between 2 and 3.5 cm (0.79 and 1.38 in) long, they are elliptic to obovate in outline, and they measure up to 23 by 9 cm (9.1 by 3.5 in).[4][5][6]
The inflorescence is a terminal panicle with up to 30 fragrant bell-shaped flowers.[4][5][6] They measure up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long with five cream-coloured petals, and may occur at any time of year.[5] The fruit is, in botanical terms, a berry up to 3.5 by 4.5 cm (1.4 by 1.8 in), white, pink or red and with a shiny appearance that gives rise to the common name "porcelain fruit".[4][5][6] They may or may not contain seeds, which are about 7 mm (0.28 in) long.[4][5][6]
Taxonomy
Fagraea cambagei was first described in 1928 by the Czech botanist Karel Domin, and published in the journal Bibliotheca Botanica.[2][3] Up until early 2023, Plants of the World Online had misapplied the name Fagraea gracilipes to this species.[6][5]
Etymology
The genus name Fagraea was coined by Carl Peter Thunberg in honour of the botanist and physician Jonas Theodor Fagraeus.[5] Domin created the species epithet cambagei in honour of the Australian botanist and surveyor Richard Hind Cambage.[5]
Distribution and habitat
Conservation
This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern.[1] As of 5 May 2023[update], it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Gallery
Trunk with distinctive "plaited" appearance
Pink fruit
Flower buds
White fruit
Habit
