Genipa
Genus of flowering plants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Genipa is a genus of trees in the family Rubiaceae. This genus is native to the American tropical forests.
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| Genipa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Flower, fruit, and leaf of Genipa americana | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Tribe: | Gardenieae |
| Genus: | Genipa L. |
| Species | |
|
see text | |
Description
Tall trees, without any spines, prickles or thorns; with large opposite leaves of almost leathery texture, smooth or hairy.[1][2][3] Presence of interpetiolar stipules, triangle-shaped.[1][3] The large flowers are arranged in terminal cymes; the calyx is tubular, while the corolla can be trumpet-shaped or short-cylindrical, with 5-6 lobes.[1][2][3] The stamens are located at the top of the corolla.[1] The fruit is an almost globose or ovoid berry, smooth, fleshy, with a thick rind.[1][2][3] The seeds are large and flat.[1][2][3]
Taxonomy
The species from Madagascar, originally described by Drake, do not belong to the Rubiaceae tribe Gardenieae like the New World Genipa species, but in the tribe Octotropideae.[4] Those species were transferred to the genus Hyperacanthus.[4]
Genipa spruceana is considered doubtfully distinct from Genipa americana.[5]
Species currently recognized in Genipa are:[6][4]
- Genipa americana L.
- Genipa infundibuliformis Zappi & J.Semir
- Genipa spruceana Steyerm.
