Genipa

Genipa is a genus of trees in the family Rubiaceae. This genus is native to the American tropical forests.

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

Genipa spruceana - MHNT

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.

Distribution and habitat

The genus is native to the tropical forests of America, including Florida.^[3][7][5]