Mussaenda frondosa
Mussaenda frondosa L.
Mussaenda frondosa L. is a shrub in the Rubiaceae family, native to regions including ZA, SC, ID, AU, BR, TW, Andaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, Caroline Is., China Southeast, Hainan, India, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., and Maluku. It was first described in 1753. The species is characterized by a white bract beneath its flowers, a trait common in the genus Mussaenda.
Description
Mussaenda frondosa L. is a shrub growing to 1.5–2 m tall, commonly known as wild mussaenda or dhobi tree. It is part of the Rubiaceae family and is distributed across various regions in Asia and Oceania. The species was originally described with the epithet 'frondosa' following nomenclatural rules. The name was typified by a collection from Ceylon, with specimens held in herbaria such as G-PREL and UPS-THUNB. The species is notable for having a white bract beneath its flowers, a feature typical of the genus Mussaenda.
Distribution
ZA · SC · ID · AU · Kruger National Park · BR · TW · Andaman Is. · Assam · Bangladesh · Borneo · Cambodia · Caroline Is. · China Southeast · Hainan · India · Jawa · Lesser Sunda Is. · Malaya · Maluku · Nepal · New Guinea · Nicobar Is. · Queensland · Sri Lanka · Sulawesi · Sumatera · Thailand · Vietnam
Synonyms
Mussaenda belillaMussaenda doviniaMussaenda flavescensMussaenda formosaMussaenda fruticosaMussaenda ingrataMussaenda macrophyllaMussaenda sericeaMussaenda sumatrensisMussaenda zollingerianaGardenia frondosa
