''Atractocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Its members are commonly known as native gardenias in Australia. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ''atractos'' "spindle", and ''karpos'' "fruit", from the spindle-shaped fruit of the type species.

Taxonomy

Defined by botanists Rudolf Schlechter and Kurt Krause in 1908, the type species is ''Atractocarpus bracteatus'', which is found only on

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

.Schlechter, Friedrich Richard Rudolf & Krause, Kurt. 1908. Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 40 Beibl. 92: 43. Subsequently, several other species were described from

. Meanwhile, the genera '' Randia'' and ''

Gardenia ''Gardenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Madagascar and Pacific Islands, and Australia. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus and John Ellis aft ...

'' had been used as

wastebasket taxa Wastebasket taxon (also called a wastebin taxon, dustbin taxon or catch-all taxon) is a term used by some taxonomists to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined ...

, where many species that had been difficult to place had been placed by default. Several Australian species of the genus ''Randia'' were found to be not closely related to Neotropical species and were transferred in a review of the genera by Australian botanist Christopher Puttock