Pinwheelflower

Ervatamia divaricata (L.) Burkill

Nerium divaricatum L., Sp. Pl. 1:209. 1753.

Nerium coronarium Jacquin, Icon. Pl. Rar. t.52. 1781.

Tabernaemontana coronaria Willdenow, Enum. Hort. Berol. 275. 1809.—Hillebrand, Fl. Haw. Is. 294. 1888.

Tabernaemontana divaricata (L.) R. Brown ex Roemer and Schultes, Syst. Veg. 4:427. 1819.—Setchell, Univ. Cal. Pub. Bot. 12:210. 1926.—Wilder, Bish. Mus. Bull. 86:89. 1931; Bish. Mus. Bull. 120:40. 1934.—F.B.H. Brown, Bish. Mus. Bull. 130:234. 1935.

Ervatamia coronaria Stapf in Thistleton-Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. 4(1): 127. 1902.

Ervatamia divaricata (L.) Burkill, Rec. Bot. Surv. India 10: 320. 1925.

DESCRIPTION.—Shrub to 2 m, glabrous. Leaves opposite, with intrapetiolar stipules. Petioles 1–1.5 cm long. Blades oblong or elliptical, 10–16 × 4–7 cm, cuneate at base, abruptly long acuminate at apex, green above, pale below, chartaceous, with about 9 lateral veins. Cymes axillary, about 5-flowered. Pedicels 1–2.5 cm long. Calyx tube 1 mm long, lobes ovate, 2–2.5 mm long, acute, scarious margined. Corolla salverform, white, usually double, fragrant; tube 2–2.5 cm long; lobes broadly ovate, 2–3.5 cm long, often with crisped edges. Follicles 2 (apparently not maturing here), 2.5–7.5 × 0.6 cm, pilose.

RANGE.—Society Islands (cultivated): Tahiti: Setchell 554, Papeete, 13 July 1922, flower (UC); Grant 4126, Papeete, 12 September 1930, flower (BISH, MIN). Raiatea: Moore, 306, south of Faaroa, 15 November 1926, flower (BISH, 2 sheets; MIN).

Native of tropical Asia. First introduced into the Society Islands at Moorea, by “Makatavishia” (a Mr. MacTavish ?), according to native informants. Also cultivated in the Marquesas (!), Makatea (!), Rarotonga (!), and Hawaii.

LOCAL NAMES.—Tahitian: tiare moorea (also in Rarotonga and Makatea, according to Wilder) or potii moorea, both meaning “flower of Moorea.” English: crape-jasmine, rosebay.

Tabernaemontana divaricata (L.) R. Brown ex Roemer & Schultes

Tabernaemontana divaricata (L.) R. Brown ex Roemer & Schultes, Syst. Veg. 4:427, 1819.—F. Brown, Flora, 234, 1935.

Nerium divaricatum L., Sp. Pl., 209, 1753.

Tabernaemontana coronaria (Jacquin) Willdenow, Enum. Hort. Berol. 1:275, 1809.

Nerium coronarium Jacquin, Coll. 1:138, 1786 [=1787]; Icon. Pl. Rar., 5, t. 52, 1781–1786 [=1787].

Ervatamia coronaria (Jacquin) Stapf, in Thistleton-Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. 4(1): 127, 1902.

Ervatamia divaricata (L.) Burkill, Rec. Bot. Surv. India, 10: 320, 1925.

Shrub with rather elliptic glossy, dark green leaves, margins tending to be wavy, panicles small, calyx small with few glands; corolla large (in cultivated forms), white, 2–3 cm or more across, usually double, with almost no odor, follicles dry, oblong, with recurved beaks, rarely seen in cultivated plants. Commonly planted; somewhat gardenia-like in appearance.

SPECIMEN SEEN.—Hivaoa I.: Atuona, shady garden, Sachet 1251 (US); PES (M i- A) 405 (BISH, LeB); PES Ex 313 (BISH).

ETHNOBOTANY.—The Tahitian name tiare moorea (Moorea gardenia, or flower) is also used in the Marquesas.

Thevetia L.

Thevetia L., Opera varia (Soulsby no. 9), 212, 1758 [nom. cons.].

Small tree densely branched, leaves alternate, corolla narrowly campanulate; fruit a soft broadly obovoid drupe with a trapezoidal flat stone.

A tropical American genus with one or two widely planted species.