Wright's gardenia  (Rothmannia annae)

Wright's gardenia is viewed by some as one of the most beautiful of the Seychelles trees. It is small with smooth, greyish-green bark and acutely pointed, dark-green leaves (2), which may reach 12 cm long (4). The white flowers are speckled with deep red and have a strong, heady scent (2). Fruits are olive-green rounded berries; they may be up to 6 cm long and contain many seeds (2).

Endemic to the Seychelles, naturally occurring populations today exist only on the island of Aride, the most northerly member of the archipelago (2).

Known from 7 sites on the island of Aride, which vary in height from the plateau a few metres above sea level to the mountain's summit (2).

After periods of heavy rain, all the trees in the area will produce their strongly-scented white flowers (2). These only persist for a few days but flowering will continue throughout the rainy season that runs from October to May (2).

Previously, populations of Wright's gardenia existed on the islands of Mahé, Silhouette, Praslin and Felicite but these became extinct in the early part of the 20th Century, primarily as a result of widespread forest clearance (1).

The island of Aride is a Special Reserve (1) and has been the focus of a long-running habitat restoration programme carried out by the Royal Society for Nature Conservation, which involves the removal of introduced plants such as coconut palms (3). Almost all non-native trees have been removed, and endemics such as Wright's gardenia have been planted and are showing encouraging sings of recovery (3). Stands of Wright's gardenia have also been planted on the islands of Fregate and Silhouette; the first wild germination on an island other than Aride for over 100 years has recently occurred on Fregate (3). Careful monitoring and management of these populations are required, but the future of this beautiful tree now appears more secure thanks to concerted conservation efforts in the Seychelles.

Authenticated (6/5/03) by Justin Gerlach. Scientific Co-ordinator, The Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles.
http://members.aol.com/jstgerlach/