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''Gardenia taitensis''〔(The Tiaré Flower ): "Emblem of TAHITI and pillar of Polynesian traditions, its Latin name is "Gardenia Tahitensis" but that magnificent little flowers with snow-white petals arranged in the form of a star is more popularly known as Tiaré Tahiti or Tiaré Mahoi (pronounced tee-a-ray)."〕 (also called Tahitian Gardenia or Tiaré Flower) is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is an evergreen tropical shrub that grows to 4 m tall, it has glossy dark green leaves (5–16 cm long) that are oppositely arranged along the stem. The flower is creamy white, pinwheel-shaped with 5 to 9 lobes (each lobe 2–4 cm long) and very fragrant. Native to the highland shores of the South Pacific, it has the distinction of being one of the few cultivated plants native to Polynesia. It is the national flower of French Polynesia and the Cook Islands. The name Tahitian Gardenia is somewhat a misnomer because it is neither native nor naturalised in Tahiti. The first acceptable scientific name for the plant was based on Tahitian specimens collected by Jules Dumont d'Urville in 1824. Hence the scientific name of ''Gardenia taitensis'', and the English name of Tahitian Gardenia or Tiaré Flower. It was first collected in Tahiti, by the Forsters on Captain Cook's first Pacific voyage (1768–1771), although it was misidentified as ''Gardenia florida''.〔(Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage Database : Gardenia taitensis - Tahitian Gardenia )〕 The plant originates from Melanesia and Western Polynesia. It is an aboriginal introduction to the Cook Islands and French Polynesia and possibly Hawaii.〔(Gardenia taitensis - National Tropical Garden Plant Database )〕 ==Synonyms== *''Gardenia weissichii'' *''Gardenia tahitensis'' *''Randia tahitensis'' 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Gardenia taitensis」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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