Gordonia occurs as genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae, related to Franklinia, Camellia and Stuartia. Of the about Forty metal money, most a single come indigene to sou'-east Asia in southern China, Taiwan and Indochina; the unexpended mintage, G. lasianthus, is indigene to south-east North America, from Virginia south to Florida and west to Louisiana.

It is evergreen trees, growing to 10-20 m tall. A bark is thick & deeply fissured. A leaves are alternately arranged, elementary, saw-toothed, midst, leathered, glossy, & 6-18 cm hanker. A flowers are big & blatant, Four-1Cinque cm across, using 5 (from time to time 6-8) whiten flower petal; flowering is within late wintertime or even early spring. A fruit is a dry five-valved capsule, using One-Four seeds in each division.

A metal money come adapted to acidic soils, and din't develop swell on chalk or other calcium-rich soils. It besides have a high rainfall requirement and might non tolerate drought.

A bit of plant scientist include Franklinia inside Gordonia; it differs around existence deciduous and flowering in late summertime, not delayed winter. A draft Flora of China account of Theaceae around China splits Gordonia into deuce genera, by having G. lasianthus retained within Gordonia, & a Asian mintage transferred to Polyspora; this professional assistance is non however widely accepted.

Cultivation and uses
Many coinage of Gordonia come grown after decorative plants for their flowers produced witharound wintertime when pack more trees come in flower. It is even so hard to develop in comparison a similar however usually smaller-growing camelia.