Gasteranthus | |
---|---|
Gasteranthus delphinioides | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Gesneriaceae |
Genus: | Gasteranthus Benth. (1846) |
Species [1] | |
39; see text | |
Synonyms [1] | |
HalphophyllumMansf. (1936) |
Gasteranthus is a genus of 35 species of herbs and soft-stemmed subshrubs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. The species occur in Central America and South America, from southernmost Mexico to Bolivia. [2] Numerous species are threatened with extinction, mainly due to deforestation. This is due to two reasons: For one thing, Gasteranthus species are native to countries in which destruction of primary forest runs rampant; also, these plants do not distribute well and therefore endemism is very frequent, for example on isolated mountain ranges. [3]
These plants inhabit tropical forest and cloud forest. They grow in humid, shaded locations at altitudes of up to 1,800 m ASL. The flowers are usually colored in orange hues and often spotted, but background colors also include shades white, yellow and red. They are born in axillary cymes without bracteoles. [2]
Gasteranthus was previously included in the closely related genus Besleria . The two genera have been separated on the basis of differences in their stomata (aggregated in Gasteranthus, scattered in Besleria) and fruits (fleshy capsule in Gasteranthus, berry in Besleria). Characteristic are the whitish dots on the leaf undersides caused by aggregations of stomata in Gasteranthus. [4]
Two main groups can be distinguished in this genus: one group of species, with white to yellow, bell- or tube-shaped flowers, is probably pollinated mainly by euglossine bees. The other group has bright orange or red hypocyrtoid (inflated corolla tube with very small opening) flowers and are apparently pollinated mainly by hummingbirds.
39 species are accepted. [1]
Columnea is a genus of around 200 species of epiphytic herbs and shrubs in the family Gesneriaceae, native to the tropics of the Americas and the Caribbean. The tubular or oddly shaped flowers are usually large and brightly colored – usually red, yellow, or orange – sometimes resembling a fish in shape. A common name is flying goldfish plants due to the unusual flower shape.
Achimenes is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot water plant.
Kohleria is a New World genus of the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. The plants are generally tropical herbs or subshrubs with velvety stems and foliage and brightly colored flowers with spots or markings in contrasting colors. They are rhizomatous and commonly include a period of dormancy in their growth cycle. The genus was revised in 1992 and was then recognized as having 19 species distributed in Central America and South America. phylogenetic in 2005 indicated that the epiphytic genus Capanea is derived from within Kohleria, and the two species of Capanea were subsequently transferred to Kohleria. The genus Pearcea is closely related.
Pearcea is a genus of tropical herbaceous plants in the family Gesneriaceae native to western South America. It is classified in tribe Gloxinieae and is closely related to the genus Kohleria, in which some of its species were previously included. The genus Parakohleria has recently been synonymized under Pearcea, a conclusion later supported by molecular analyses that showed that Pearcea hypocyrtiflora was nested within the former Parakohlerias.
Besleria is a genus of large herbs and soft-stemmed subshrubs or shrubs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. It includes 176 species native to tropical southern Mexico, Central America, South America, and the West Indies.
Alloplectus is a genus of Neotropical plants in the family Gesneriaceae. A 2005 revision of the genus included five species, with the majority of species in the genus as traditionally circumscribed being transferred to Crantzia, Glossoloma, and Drymonia. Plants of the World Online currently accepts seven species.
Gasteranthus extinctus is a species of flowering plant in the family Gesneriaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. The species is a small herb that produces bright orange flowers that gave rise to the genus name Gasteranthus.
Monopyle is a genus of plants in the family Gesneriaceae.
Napeanthus is a genus of plant in family Gesneriaceae. It includes 17 species of terrestrial, perennial herbs with rhizomes native to the tropical Americas, ranging from Mexico to Bolivia and southern Brazil.
Nautilocalyx is a genus of plants in the family Gesneriaceae. Its native range stretches from Costa Rica to southern Tropical America and to Trinidad. It is also found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panamá, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago and Venezuela.
Paradrymonia is a genus of flowering plants in family Gesneriaceae. It includes 11 species native to the tropical Americas, ranging from Honduras to Bolivia and northern Brazil.
Phinaea is a genus of flowering plants in family Gesneriaceae. It contains three species native to the Americas, including western and central Mexico, Cuba and Haiti, and Colombia and northern Brazil.
Reldia is a genus of plants in the family Gesneriaceae. They are also in the Beslerieae tribe.
Columnea consanguinea is a species of flowering plants in the genus Columnea. They are endemic to Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panama. They are distinctive for possessing red translucent heart-shaped markings on their leaves that serve to attract their main pollinators - the hummingbird Heliodoxa jacula - to their more inconspicuous flowers.
Glossoloma is a genus of Neotropical plants in the family Gesneriaceae. It includes 20 species which range from southern Mexico to Bolivia. The species in the genus were formerly placed in Alloplectus. They are subshrubs with the leaves clustered at the ends of branches, and tubular flowers.
Trichodrymonia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Gesneriaceae.
Amalophyllon is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Gesneriaceae. It includes 13 species native to the tropical Americas, ranging from southern Mexico through Central America to Venezuela and Peru.
Cremosperma is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Gesneriaceae.
Rufodorsia is a genus of epiphytic flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. The genus name refers to the reddish back of the upper lobes of the flower. It is native to montane cloud forest in Central America.
Drymonia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. It includes 82 species native to the tropical Americas, ranging from southern Mexico through Central America and northern South America to Bolivia and southeastern Brazil.