{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{Other uses|Gordonia (disambiguation)}} {{Italic title}} {{automatic taxobox |name = ''Gordonia'' |image = Gordonia lasianthus.jpg |image_caption = ''Gordonia lasianthus'' flower |taxon = Gordonia (plant) |authority = Ellis |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = See text |synonyms = *''Haemocharis'' {{small|Salisb. ex Mart. & Zucc.}} *''Laplacea'' {{small|Kunth}} *''Lasianthus'' {{small|Adans.}} *''Lindleya'' {{small|Nees}} *''Michauxia'' {{small|Salisb.}} *''Wikstroemia'' {{small|Schrad.}} |synonyms_ref=<ref name = powo>{{cite web |title=''Gordonia'' Ellis |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331632-2 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=4 April 2025}}</ref> }} thumb|right|''Gordonia lasianthus'' leaf and branch thumb|right|''Gordonia lasianthus'' beginning to bloom, June, N. Florida [[File:Gordonia idahoensis as Laurus grandis USNM P36975 img2.jpg|thumb|right|''Gordonia idahoensis'' fossils]]

'''''Gordonia''''' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae, related to ''Franklinia'', ''Camellia'' and ''Stewartia''. It includes 22 species native to the tropical and subtropical Americas, ranging from the southeastern United States and southern Mexico to Bolivia and southern Brazil.<ref name = powo/>

They are evergreen trees, growing to 10–20 m tall. The bark is thick and deeply fissured. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple, serrated, thick, leathery, glossy, and 6–18&nbsp;cm long. The flowers are large and conspicuous, 4–15&nbsp;cm diameter, with 5 (occasionally 6-8) white petals; flowering is in late winter or early spring. The fruit is a dry five-valved capsule, with 1-4 seeds in each section.

The species are adapted to acidic soils, and do not grow well on chalk or other calcium-rich soils. They also have a high rainfall requirement and will not tolerate drought.

Some botanists include ''Franklinia'' within ''Gordonia'', even though recent phylogenetic studies show that ''Franklinia'''s closest living relationship is with the Asian genera ''Schima'' and not ''Gordonia'';<ref>Prince, L. M. and C. R. Parks. 2001. Phylogenetic relationships of Theaceae inferred from Chloroplast DNA sequence data. Am. J. Bot. 88: 2309-2320.</ref> it differs in being deciduous and flowering in late summer, not late winter. The draft ''Flora of China'' account of Theaceae in China split ''Gordonia'' into two genera, with ''G. lasianthus'' retained in ''Gordonia'', and the Asian species transferred to ''Polyspora''.

==Species== 22 species are accepted.<ref name = powo/> {{div col}} *''Gordonia acutifolia'' {{small|(Wawra) H.Keng}} *''Gordonia alpestris'' {{small|(Krug & Urb.) H.Keng}} *''Gordonia angustifolia'' {{small|(Britton & P.Wilson) H.Keng}} *''Gordonia barbinervis'' {{small|(Moric.) Walp.}} *''Gordonia benitoensis'' {{small|(Britton & P.Wilson) H.Keng}} *''Gordonia brenesii'' {{small|(Standl.) Q.Jiménez}} *''Gordonia cristalensis'' {{small|(Borhidi & O.Muñiz) Greuter & R.Rankin}} *''Gordonia curtyana'' {{small|(A.Rich.) H.Keng}} *''Gordonia ekmanii'' {{small|(O.C.Schmidt) H.Keng}} *''Gordonia fruticosa'' {{small|(Schrad.) H.Keng}} *''Gordonia haematoxylon'' {{small|Sw.}} *''Gordonia lasianthus'' {{small|(L.) Ellis}} *''Gordonia moaensis'' {{small|(Vict.) H.Keng}} *''Gordonia portoricensis'' {{small|(Krug & Urb.) H.Keng}} *''Gordonia pubescens'' {{small|Cav.}} *''Gordonia robusta'' {{small|(Kobuski) H.Keng}} *''Gordonia samuelssonii'' {{small|(O.C.Schmidt) H.Keng}} *''Gordonia spathulata'' {{small|(Kobuski) H.Keng}} *''Gordonia tomentosa'' {{small|(Mart.) Spreng.}} *''Gordonia urbani'' {{small|(O.C.Schmidt) H.Keng}} *''Gordonia villosa'' {{small|Macfad.}} *''Gordonia wrightii'' {{small|(Griseb.) H.Keng}} {{div col end}}

===Formerly placed here=== ''Gordonia'' species from East Asia have been transferred to ''Polyspora'', ''Pyrenaria'', and ''Schima'', including:<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://xuebao.scib.ac.cn/data/%E5%9B%BD%E4%BA%A7%E5%A4%A7%E5%A4%B4%E8%8C%B6%E5%B1%9E%E7%9A%84%E5%88%86%E7%B1%BB%E5%A4%84%E7%90%86.pdf |title=Taxonomic Treatment of Chinese Polyspora Sweet(Theaceae) |access-date=2009-02-13 |journal=Journal of Tropical and Subtropical Botany |publisher=中国科学院华南植物园 }}{{dead link|date=March 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> *''Polyspora axillaris'' {{small|(Roxb. ex Ker Gawl.) Sweet}} (as ''G. axillaris'' {{small|(Roxb. ex Ker Gawl.) Endl.}}) *''Polyspora ceylanica'' {{small|(Wight) Orel, Peter G.Wilson, Curry & Luu}} (as ''G. ceylanica'' {{small|Wight}}) *''Polyspora chrysandra'' {{small|(Cowan) Hu ex B.M.Barthol. & T.L.Ming}} (as ''G. chrysandra'' {{small|Cowan}}) *''Polyspora gardneri'' {{small|Orel, Peter G.Wilson, Curry & Luu}} (as ''G. speciosa'' {{small|(Gardner) Choisy}}) *''Polyspora hainanensis'' {{small|(Hung T.Chang) C.X.Ye ex S.X.Yang}} (as ''G. hainanensis'' {{small|(Hung T.Chang) C.X.Ye ex S.X.Yang}}) *''Polyspora hirtella'' {{small|(Ridl.) Orel, Peter G.Wilson, Curry & Luu}} (as ''G. hirtella'' {{small|Ridl.}}) *''Polyspora longicarpa'' {{small|(Hung T.Chang) C.X.Ye ex B.M.Barthol. & T.L.Ming}} (as ''G. longicarpa'' {{small|Hung T.Chang}}) *''Polyspora maingayi'' {{small|(Dyer) Orel, Peter G.Wilson, Curry & Luu}} (as ''G. maingayi'' {{small|Dyer}}) *''Polyspora multinervis'' {{small|(King) Orel, Peter G.Wilson, Curry & Luu}} (as ''G. multinervis'' {{small|King}}) *''Polyspora penangensis'' {{small|(Ridl.) Niissalo & L.M.Choo}} (as ''G. penangensis'' {{small|Ridl.}}) *''Polyspora scortechinii'' {{small|(King) Orel, Peter G.Wilson, Curry & Luu}} (as ''G. scortechinii'' {{small|King}}) *''Polyspora singaporeana'' {{small|(Wall. ex Ridl.) Niissalo & L.M.Choo}} (as ''G. singaporeana'' {{small|Wall. ex Ridl.}}) *''Polyspora taipingensis'' {{small|(Burkill) Orel, Peter G.Wilson, Curry & Luu}} (as ''G. taipingensis'' {{small|Burkill}}) *''Polyspora tonkinensis'' {{small|(Pit.) S.X.Yang}} (as ''G. tonkinensis'' {{small|Pit.}}) *''Pyrenaria hirta'' {{small|(Hand.-Mazz.) H.Keng}} (as ''G. hirta'' {{small|Hand.-Mazz.}}) *''Schima sinensis'' {{small|(Hemsl. & E.H.Wilson) Airy Shaw}} (as ''G. sinensis'' {{small|Hemsl. & E.H.Wilson}}) *''Schima wallichii'' {{small|(DC.) Korth.}} (as ''G. wallichiii'' {{small|DC.}})

==Cultivation and uses== Several species of ''Gordonia'' are grown as ornamental plants for their flowers produced in winter when few other trees are in flower. They are however difficult to grow compared to the similar but generally smaller-growing camellias.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20040814114055/http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/mss/volume12/Theaceae-CAS_edited.htm ''Flora of China'': draft text of Theaceae]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q134723}}

Category:Gordonia (plant) Category:Ericales genera Category:Flora of the Americas