Historical botanical illustration of the day
Gardenia taitensis, also known as Tahitian Gardenia or Tiare Flower, is a species within the Rubiaceae family of flowering plants.
The anglicized name Tahitian Gardenia is something of a misnomer since it is neither native nor naturalised in Tahiti.
It was recorded there for the first time, however, by the naturalists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, when they landed on the island in 1769 during Captain Cook’s first Pacific voyage.
Gardenia taitensis is the national flower of French Polynesia and the Cook Islands.
Via nhm.ac.uk
