Ixora Ferrea

''Ixora'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is the only genus in the tribe ''Ixoreae''. It consists of tropical evergreen trees and shrubs and holds around 544 species. 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

''Ixora'' is Latinized from Sanskrit ''Ishwara'', one of the names of the Hindu god Shiva. The genus was formally created by Linnaeus in 1753, as it was noted by Hendrik van Rheede that the flowers of what he noted as ''schetti'' (and named by Rheede as ''Ixora coccinea'') were offered in temples in the Malabar.

Other common names include viruchi, kiskaara, kepale, rangan, kheme, ponna, chann tanea, techi, pan, siantan, jarum-jarum/jejarum, cây trang thái, 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''. Then in 2018, in Taiwan, during a fungal study, it was found that the species ''Pseudopestalotiopsis ixorae'' and ''Pseudopestalotiopsis taiwanensis'' caused leaf spots on species of ''Ixora'', which is a popular garden plant in Taiwan.

Selected species

*''Ixora albersii''
*''Ixora backeri''
*''Ixora beckleri''
*''Ixora brevipedunculata''
*''Ixora calycina''
*''Ixora chinensis''
*''Ixora coccinea''
*'' Ixora elongata''
*'' Ixora euosmia ''
*'' Ixora finlaysoniana''
*'' Ixora foliosa''
*'' Ixora johnsonii''
*'' Ixora jucunda''
*''Ixora killipii''
*''Ixora lawsonii''
*'' Ixora malabarica''
*''Ixora margaretae''
*'' Ixora marquesensis''
*'' Ixora mooreensis''
*''Ixora nigerica''
*'' Ixora nigricans''
*'' Ixora ooumuensis''
*''Ixora panurensis''
*'' Ixora pavetta''
*'' Ixora peruviana''
*'' Ixora pudica''
*''Ixora raiateensis''
*''Ixora raivavaensis''
*''Ixora rufa''
*''Ixora saulierei''
*''Ixora setchellii''
*'' Ixora st-johnii''
*'' Ixora stokesii''
*'' Ixora temehaniensis''
*'' Ixora ulei''
*'' Ixora umbellata''
*''Ixora yavitensis''

Gallery

File:Pentas Star Flower.JPG, ''Ixora coccinea''
File:Ixora Pavetta W2 IMG 7065.jpg, '' Ixora pavetta''
File:Ixora pavetta near Hyderabad W IMG 7687.jpg, '' Ixora pavetta''
File:Ixora_at_Dhaka,_Bangladesh.JPG, '' Ixora pavetta''
Image:Ixora coccinea.jpg, ''Ixora coccinea''
Image:Ixora coccinea - flame of the woods -dwarf red- - desc-flowerhead.jpg, ''Ixora coccinea''
File:Samta -Tagar folwers in a house's garden.JPG, ''Ixora coccinea''
File:Ixora chinensis - flower view 02.jpg, ''Ixora chinensis''
File:Ixora chinensis - flower view 01.jpg, ''Ixora chinensis''
File:Ixora (pink).JPG, Whitish pink Ixora
File:Ixora (pink-orange).JPG, Pink orange ixora
File:Ixora (white).JPG, White Ixora
File:White Ixora (Kerala).jpg, White Ixora
File:Ixora seeds (young).jpg, Young Ixora seeds
File:Ixora seeds (ripe).jpg, Ripe Ixora seeds (red ones)
File:Mini Ixora red.jpg, Red mini Ixora
File:Pink mini ixora.jpg, Pink mini ixora
File:West Indian Jasmine -- Ixora (yellow).jpg, ''Ixora coccinea''
File:Ixora Coccinea 2.jpg, Ixora coccinea
File:Ixora fruits uploaded by Vijayan Rajapuram 04.jpg, ixora_fruits

References

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Constantly blooming plants

Rubiaceae genera
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Plants that can bloom all year round