Larsenianthus

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Larsenianthus
Larsenianthus assamensis.jpg
Larsenianthus assamensis flower
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Subfamily: Zingiberoideae
Tribe: Zingibereae
Genus: Larsenianthus
W.J.Kress & Mood

Larsenianthus [1] is a genus of monocotyledonous plants in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). The genus was established in 2010. The four or so species are native to the area of the eastern Himalayas. [1]

Contents

Description

Larsenianthus species grow as evergreen, perennial herbaceous plants that can reach heights of 1 to 2.5 meters. They stand in groups of ten to twenty plants and form rhizomes. Depending on the species, the plants have two to twelve alternately arranged, sessile or stalked leaves. [2]

The inflorescences stand on leafed inflorescence shafts or at the base of leafless side shoots. Depending on the type, 35 to 80 curved or flat, scale-like bracts are connected at the base with the inflorescence and are arranged in a spiral. At the base of the inflorescence, additional side shoots can sometimes occur with sterile bracts. The bracts are of different sizes with the inner ones being larger. The conspicuous flowers are rarely solitary, usually in twos or six in a wrap. The lower flowers always open first. [2]

The tubular, triple-toothed sepals are smaller than the petals. The long, tubular petals are curved and have a rectangular opening. The edge of the flower is thickened and rounded on two sides by the base of the staminodes and the labellum. The side standing, small staminodes are bowl-shaped. The elongated, spade- or inverted-lanceolate labellum is broad at the tip and becomes narrower towards the base of the leaf. The labellum base is V-shaped in cross section or has a raised center, its edges are thickened. The edge of the labellum tip can be toothed. The long, fertile stamens are curved over the labellum and have elongated anthers. Three carpels have grown together to form a three-chamber ovary.

The elongated capsule fruits contain a number of seeds in each half of the capsule, which are divided into three separate fruit compartments. The one to ten seeds are surrounded by a fleshy shell (aril). [2]

Range

They grow in the South Asian tropics mainly in forest areas. [2]

The natural range of Larsenianthus species includes northeastern Bangladesh, northeastern India, and northern Myanmar

Taxonomy

The first description of the genus Larsenianthus was made in 2010 by Walter John Emil Kress and John Donald Mood in phytokeys, No. 1, pp. 21, (23). The type species is Larsenianthus careyanus (Benth.) WJKress & Mood, which was previously assigned to the genus Hitchenia. The genus name Larsenianthus honors Kai Larsen(1926–2012) from Aarhus University in Denmark, an expert in the systematics of the Zingiberaceae. Anthusis the Greek word for flower. [2]

There are four species of Larsenianthus: [2]

Cladogram according to Catalog of Life: [1]

Larsenianthus 

Larsenianthus arunachalensis

Larsenianthus assamensis

Larsenianthus careyanus

Larsenianthus wardianus

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zingiberaceae</span> Family of plants

Zingiberaceae or the ginger family is a family of flowering plants made up of about 50 genera with a total of about 1600 known species of aromatic perennial herbs with creeping horizontal or tuberous rhizomes distributed throughout tropical Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Many of the family's species are important ornamental, spice, or medicinal plants. Ornamental genera include the shell gingers (Alpinia), Siam or summer tulip, Globba, ginger lily (Hedychium), Kaempferia, torch-ginger Etlingera elatior, Renealmia, and ginger (Zingiber). Spices include ginger (Zingiber), galangal or Thai ginger, melegueta pepper, myoga, korarima, turmeric (Curcuma), and cardamom.

<i>Roscoea</i> Genus of flowering plants

Roscoea is a genus of perennial plants of the family Zingiberaceae. While most members of the ginger family are tropical, Roscoea species are native to cooler mountainous regions of the Himalayas, China and its southern neighbours. Roscoea flowers superficially resemble orchids, although they are not related. The flowers of Roscoea have a complicated structure, in which some of the showy coloured parts are not formed by petals, but by staminodes, sterile stamens which have evolved to resemble petals. Some species are grown as ornamental plants in gardens.

<i>Cautleya</i> Genus of flowering plants

Cautleya is a small genus of perennial plants of the family Zingiberaceae, found in the eastern Himalayas through to China and Vietnam. It consists of two species of high-altitude tropical and temperate plants, native to cool forest areas – an unusual habitat for members of the Zingiberaceae. They are grown as ornamental flowering plants.

<i>Roscoea auriculata</i> Species of plant

Roscoea auriculata is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the eastern Himalayas, in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal and Sikkim. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. auriculata, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens.

<i>Roscoea purpurea</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea purpurea is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the Himalayas, particularly Nepal. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but species of Roscoea grow in much colder mountainous regions. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens.

<i>Roscoea alpina</i> Species of plant

Roscoea alpina is a perennial herbaceous plant native to the Himalayas. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. alpina, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens.

<i>Roscoea kunmingensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea kunmingensis is a perennial herbaceous plant native to the mountains of China, being found in Yunnan. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. kunmingensis, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea tumjensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea tumjensis is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the Himalayas, in Nepal. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. tumjensis, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea australis</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea australis is a perennial herbaceous plant found in Burma, to the south of all other members of the genus. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. australis, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

Roscoea brandisii is a species of herbaceous flowering plant in the Zingiberaceae family. It is a perennial found in the state of Meghalaya, India. Most members of the ginger family, to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. brandisii, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea nepalensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea nepalensis is a perennial herbaceous plant found in Nepal. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. nepalensis, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea debilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea debilis is a perennial herbaceous plant found in Yunnan, China. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. debilis, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea schneideriana</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea schneideriana is a perennial herbaceous plant found in China, in Tibet, Sichuan and Yunnan. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. schneideriana, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea scillifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea scillifolia is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in Yunnan in China. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but like other species of Roscoea, R. scillifolia grows in much colder mountainous regions. As of 2013, the species is only known in cultivation and may be extinct in the wild.

<i>Cautleya gracilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Cautleya gracilis is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Zingiberaceae. It is found in the Himalayas through to south China and Vietnam. It is cultivated as an ornamental garden plant, hardy to a few degrees of frost.

<i>Cautleya spicata</i> Species of plant

Cautleya spicata is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Zingiberaceae. It is found in the Himalayas through to China (Yunnan). It is cultivated as an ornamental garden plant, hardy to a few degrees of frost.

Curcuma glauca is a species of flowering plant in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is a rhizomatous geophyte endemic to Myanmar. The plant, which is called malaphu (မာလာဖူး) in Burmese, is used as an herb in Burmese cuisine.

Larsenianthus careyanus is a species of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). It occurs in Bangladesh as well as northeast India. It is the type species of the genus Larsenianthus, which was newly established in 2010.

Larsenianthus assamensis is a species of the genus Larsenianthus in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). It was first described in 2010 and is native to northeastern India.

Larsenianthus arunachalensis is a species of the genus Larsenianthus in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae).. It was first described in 2010 and is native to northeastern India, and Myanmar.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Roskov Y.; Kunze T.; Orrell T.; Abucay L.; Paglinawan L.; Culham A.; Bailly N.; Kirk P.; Bourgoin T.; Baillargeon G.; Decock W.; De Wever A.; Didžiulis V., eds. (2014). "Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2014 Annual Checklist". Species 2000: Reading, UK. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 W. John Kress, John D. Mood, Mamiyil Sabu, Linda M. Prince, Santanu Dey, E. Sanoj (2010), "Larsenianthus, a new Asian genus of Gingers (Zingiberaceae) with four species", PhytoKeys (in German), vol. 1, no. 1, Washington, DC, pp. 15-32, doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.1.658 , ISSN   1314-2003, PMC   3174428 , PMID   22171166 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Larsenianthus". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.