Gardenia taitensis

Vegetative habit Vegetative habit
Vegetative habit

Flower with leaves
Flower with leaves

Probable pollinator. Scent is very much like that of a plumeria
Probable pollinator. Scent is very much like that of a plumeria

Detail view of androecium, gynoecium
Detail view of androecium, gynoecium

Said to be Hawaiian introduction. This specimen located between Mwalok and Danpei on Sokehs Island.

Idenfication thanks to David Lorence of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, 3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo, HI 96741, USA

Dana Lee Ling
Out of curiousity, any idea why the flower appears to have the six part symmetry to the floral structures? Rubiaceae includes the distinctly four petaled Ixora and five petaled Morinda citrifolia. Especially as I teach my students the old saw "multiples of four or five are dicots, multiples of three are monocots." For every rule in nature there is an exception?
Dr. Lorence
Some eudicots, e.g. Rubiaceae in the gardenia alliance and including many Gardenia species, often have 6 or 7 petals/stamens as a rule (some rarely up to 8 or 9). That's just the way the flowers are constructed. This seems to be species-specific and unrelated to the fact that they are dicots. Others, like some Ixora or Psychotria or Morinda species, may have occasional abnormal flowers with one more or one less petal/stamen. This may have more to do with the size of the individual floral primordium and subsequent development of the flower. You are right about exceptions to every rule! 
Kingdom: 	Plantae
Division: 	Magnoliophyta
Class: 	Magnoliopsida
Order: 	Gentianales
Family: 	Rubiaceae
Genus: 	Gardenia
Species: 	G. taitensis
Binomial name
Gardenia taitensis

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