Gardenia cornuta Hemsl.
Tonga gardenia, Natal gardenia, horned gardenia (Eng.); wilde-appel, Tongakatjiepiering, Natalkatjiepiering (Afr.); unomphumela, umvalasangweni (isiZulu).
SA Tree No: 690.1
A small tree up to 5 m in height. Leaves arranged in whorls of three, clustered towards the ends of short, rigid branchlets, broadly obovate, measuring 20–50 x 15–27 mm, leathery, shiny light green on the upper side, dull green underneath, glabrous, with hairy pockets (domatia) present on the underside. The apex is very broadly tapering to a rounded tip, while the base narrows into a not-so-distinct petiole, up to 3 mm long. The margins are wavy and entire. Flowers are white, turning yellow as they mature, with a corolla tube up to 60 mm long and five spreading lobes. The calyx is tubular and foliaceous. The fruit is ovoid, measuring 45 x 38 mm, yellow, crowded with a persistent calyx (in profusion). Flowering occurs from late summer to early spring (Feb. to Aug.). It is recorded in low-altitude areas within the bushveld and thicket of northeastern KwaZulu-Natal, southern Mozambique, and the marginal regions of Mpumalanga. Young fruits are eaten by monkeys and Nyala (Tragelaphus sp.). Both fruit and roots are used as an emetic.

Gardenia ternifolia Schumach. & Thonn. subsp. jovis-tonantis (Welw.) Verdc. var. goetzei (Stapf & Hutch.) Verdc.
powder-bark gardenia (Eng.), poeierbaskatjiepiering (Afr.), tshiralala (Venda)
SA Tree No: 690.3
Shrub or small, spreading tree 3–5 m tall with smooth, powdery, grey or yellowish-brown bark. Leaves oblanceolate to obovate, apex rounded, roughly hairy on both surfaces and rough to the touch, in whorls of 3 on short, rigid side branchlets. Hair-tuft domatia are present on the leaves. Flowers are white, turning yellow with age, sweetly scented, up to 45 mm long and 40 mm wide, solitary at the ends of the branchlets. Fruits large, ovoid, 50 × 35 mm, velvety, yellowish-brown, crowned with the remains of the calyx, not ribbed. Flowering in spring and early summer (Sep. to Dec.), fruiting in late summer to winter (Feb. to Jun.). Occurs in wooded grassland, on rocky slopes and koppies, along streams and in vleis, and sometimes on termite mounds, in Limpopo in South Africa, and in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi and in tropical Africa. The wood is hard and very fine-grained, yellow or pink. Seeds yield a black dye that is used for painting the skin. Branches are sometimes put on the roof to ward off lightning. The name ternifolia means ‘leaves in threes’, jovis-tonantis refers to ‘Jupiter the Thunderer’ and goetzii is named after German naturalist Walter Goetze (1872-1899).

Gardenia volkensii K.Schum.
bushveld gardenia (Eng.); Transvaalkatjiepiering, bosveldkatjiepiering, kannetjieboom, stompdoring (Afr.); morala (Northern-Sotho, Tswana); umgongwane, umkhwakhwane-omkulu (isiZulu)
SA Tree No: 690.8 and 691 and 691.1
Small tree reaching up to 7 m in height. Leaves arranged in whorls of three, clustered near the ends of short, rigid branchlets. They are broadly ovate, measuring 30–75 x 25–40 mm, glossy dark green, often glabrous, rarely with the presence of hispid hairs on both sides. Hairy pockets (domatia) are present on the underside. The leaf apex is broadly tapering to a rounded tip, while the base narrows gradually into a slender petiole up to 26 mm long. Leaf margins are wavy and occasionally appear serrated. Flowers are white, turning yellow as they mature. The corolla tube can be up to 80 mm long, with 6(9) spreading lobes, opening at night. The calyx is tubular and foliaceous. The fruit is ellipsoid, measuring 110 x 100 mm, grey-green, and crowded with a persistent calyx. Flowering occurs from winter to summer (Jul. to Dec.). The species has been recorded in open woodlands and bushveld, from KwaZulu-Natal to tropical Africa.

Two subspecies of this species are recorded in southern Africa. They are separated based on their fruit morphology, although it is not always clear-cut, especially from preserved specimens. G. volkensii subsp. volkensii is distinguished from subsp. spatulifolia by its larger, white fruit with coarser ribs and conspicuous white dots (lenticels). G. volkensii subsp. volkensii var. saundersiae is diagnosed by its well-developed calyx lobes (15–25 mm long), whereas G. volkensii subsp. volkensii var. volkensii has calyx lobes up to 10–15 mm long.