Gardenia thunbergia leaves

The simple, stalked leaves of Gardenia thunbergia grow in whorls of three or four, clustered close to the ends of the densely divided small branchlets. Petioles are up to 2,5 cm long.

The elliptic to obovate leaves have rounded or pointed tips and taper at the base. Leaf size and shape vary considerably, from 7 cm to 15 cm long and from 4 cm to 10 cm wide. The leaf margins are undulating and entire.

The blades are glossy, light or yellowish green to dark green, thinly leathery and hairless on both surfaces. The midribs and ascending lateral veins are cream to creamy green and conspicuous. There usually are domatia shaped as raised lumps in the axils of the lateral veins (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; Pooley, 1993).