Franklinia

Franklinia
Flower and leaves in autumn

Possibly Extinct  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Theaceae
Genus: Franklinia
W.Bartram ex Marshall
Species:
F. alatamaha
Binomial name
Franklinia alatamaha
Marshall
Natural range
Synonyms
List
    • Gordonia alatamaha (Marshall) Sarg.
    • Gordonia franklinii L'Hér.
    • Gordonia pubescens L'Hér.
    • Lacathea florida Salisb.

Franklinia is a monotypic genus in the tea family, Theaceae. The sole species in this genus is a flowering tree, Franklinia alatamaha, commonly called Franklinias or the Franklin tree, and native to the Altamaha River valley in Georgia in the southeastern United States. It has been extinct in the wild since the early 19th century, but survives as a cultivated ornamental tree.

In the past, some botanists have included Franklinia within the related genus Gordonia. The southeastern North American species Gordonia lasianthus differs in having evergreen foliage, flowers with longer stems, winged seeds, and conical seed capsules. Franklinia was often known as Gordonia pubescens until the middle of the 20th century.