Ixora
Chinese ixora
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Subfamily: Ixoroideae
Tribe: Ixoreae
Genus: Ixora
L.
Type species
Ixora coccinea
Species

around 544, see text

Synonyms[1]

Ixora is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae.[1] It is the only genus in the tribe Ixoreae. It consists of tropical evergreen trees and shrubs and holds around 544 species.[2] Though native to the tropical and subtropical areas throughout the world, its centre of diversity is in Tropical Asia. Ixora also grows commonly in subtropical climates in the United States, such as Florida where it is commonly known as West Indian jasmine.

Name

George Don writes that Ixora is a name of "a Malabar idol, to which the flowers of some of the species are offered."[3]

Other common names include viruchi, kiskaara, kepale, rangan, kheme, ponna, chann tanea, techi, pan, siantan, jarum-jarum/jejarum, cây trang thái,[4] jungle flame, jungle geranium, and cruz de Malta, among others.

Botany

The plants possess leathery leaves, ranging from 3 to 6 inches in length, and produce large clusters of tiny flowers in the summer. Members of Ixora prefer acidic soil, and are suitable choices for bonsai. It is also a popular choice for hedges in parts of South East Asia. In tropical climates, they flower year round and are commonly used in Hindu worship, as well as in ayurveda and Indian folk medicine.

In Brazil, fungal species Pseudocercospora ixoricola was found to be causing leaf spots on Ixora coccinea.[5] Then in 2018, in Taiwan, during a fungal study, it was found that plant pathogens of Pseudopestalotiopsis ixorae and Pseudopestalotiopsis taiwanensis caused leaf spots on species of Ixora, which is a popular garden plant in Taiwan.[6]

Selected species

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ixora.
Wikispecies has information related to Ixora.
  1. 1 2 "Ixora L., Sp. Pl.: 110 (1753)". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  2. ↑ "Ixora L." World Flora Online. The World Flora Online Consortium. 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  3. ↑ Don, George (1834). A General System of Gardening and Botany: Founded upon Miller's Gardener's Dictionary, and Arranged According to the Natural System. Vol. 3. London, England, UK: C. J. G. and F. Rivington. p. 570 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. ↑ "Cây Trang Thái". Vuoncay (in Vietnamese). 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  5. ↑ Alves, J.; Barreto, R. (2010). "Pseudocercospora ixoricola causing leaf spots on Ixora coccinea in Brazil". Plant Dis. 94 (2): 278. doi:10.1094/PDIS-94-2-0278C. PMID 30754286.
  6. ↑ Tsai, Ichen; Maharachchikumbura, Sajeewa S. N.; Hyde, Kevin D.; Ariyawansa, Hiran A. (May 2018). "Molecular phylogeny, morphology and pathogenicity of Pseudopestalotiopsis species on Ixora in Taiwan". Mycological Progress. 17 (8): 941–952. doi:10.1007/s11557-018-1404-7. S2CID 255313328.


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