Rubiaceae · Gardenia

Papda / Indian Boxwood

Gardenia latifolia

Tree
Habit
Tree
Found in India
Telangana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh & more
Flowering
August-March

Plant Details

Scientific name
Gardenia latifolia
Genus
Gardenia
Family
Rubiaceae
Habit
Tree
Distribution
India, Sri Lanka
Found in India
Telangana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh
Flowering & fruiting
August-March
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf arrangement
WhorledrecordedThree or more leaves arise from the same point around the stem.Oppositely arranged, or whorled leaves have very short stalks, and are oval to obovate, smooth, with a small hairy gland in the axils of the veins on the underside, 6–8 in long, by — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf shape
ObovaterecordedEgg-shaped but broader near the tip rather than the base.Oppositely arranged, or whorled leaves have very short stalks, and are oval to obovate, smooth, with a small hairy gland in the axils of the veins on the underside, 6–8 in long, by — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf surface
PubescentrecordedCovered in short, soft hairs.Oppositely arranged, or whorled leaves have very short stalks, and are oval to obovate, smooth, with a small hairy gland in the axils of the veins on the underside, 6–8 in long, by — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Simple type leaf character
Type
Simple
Entire margin leaf character
Margin
Entire
Pinnate venation leaf character
Venation
Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Papda itself; the rest are typical of the Rubiaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
Whiterecorded
Fruit type
BerryrecordedA fleshy fruit with seeds embedded directly in the pulp, no central stone.Berry is even, nearly spherical, crowned with the whole limbs of the sepal. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Inflorescence
Cyme
Fruit
Berry

Characters marked “recorded” are for Papda itself; the rest are typical of the Rubiaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi
पापड़ा Papda, Papura, Paphar
Tamil
Periya Kumpai, Kumbay, Kambil
Telugu
Pedda Karinga, Karinguva, Pedda Bikki
Kannada
ಕಂಬಿ Kambi, ಕಾಲ್ಕಂಬಿ Kalkambi, ಅಡವಿಬಿಕ್ಕೆ Adavibikke
Marathi
Ghogar, Papda, Gogavli

About Papda

A member of the Rubiaceae family, Indian Boxwood (Gardenia latifolia) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Telangana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and 5 other states. Flowering and fruiting run from August to March.

Illustration representing the Rubiaceae family
Botanical family

Rubiaceae

Coffee/Madder family

Papda belongs to the Rubiaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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