Euphorbia is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). "Euphorbia" is sometimes used in ordinary English to collectively refer to all members of Euphorbiaceae, not just to members of the genus. Some euphorbias are commercially widely available, such as poinsettias at Christmas. Some are commonly cultivated as ornamentals, or collected and highly valued for the aesthetic appearance of their unique floral structures, such as the crown of thorns plant. Euphorbias from the deserts of Southern Africa and Madagascar have evolved physical characteristics and forms similar to cacti of North and South America, so they are often incorrectly referred to as cacti. Some are used as ornamentals in landscaping, because of beautiful or striking overall forms, and drought and heat tolerance.
Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, is a family of flowering plants consisting of about 152 genera and ca. 3,540 species in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World and the New World, with a very small number extending to temperate areas. Many species have colorful and showy flowers and are cultivated as ornamental plants.
Chirita was an Old World genus of the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae, native to Indo-Malaysia, S. E. Asia, and southern China. In 2011, the species in the genus were reassigned to several genera, with the type species assigned to the genus Henckelia, so that Chirita became a synonym, no longer recognized.
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. 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.
Nematanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, Nematanthus has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing, branching, and spreading habit; it is generally an epiphyte in nature and a hanging-basket plant in cultivation. The flower has fused petals. In some species, the flower has a "pouch" at the bottom. The fancied resemblance of such flowers to a goldfish gives these plants the common name "goldfish plant" or "guppy plant".
Codonanthe is a genus of mainly epiphytic plants in the family Gesneriaceae, endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The botanical name comes from the Ancient Greek for 'bellflower'. They have white or pale pink flowers and somewhat fleshy leaves. In 2013, the genus was reduced in size when more than half of the species were transferred to Codonanthopsis. They can be grown as houseplants, particularly in hanging baskets. Artificial crosses with Nematanthus hybrids have produced the hybrid genus × Codonatanthus.
Wightia is a genus of flowering plants tentatively sister to the Phrymaceae which currently contains only two species. It grows as a tree, or a hemiepiphytic pseudo-vine, up to 15 metres (49 ft) tall. It is found in South Asia and South East Asia, from Nepal and India to Thailand, Vietnam and China's Yunnan Province, at altitudes below 2,500 m (8,200 ft). There are still morphological characters as well as nuclear genome data to support Wightia as sister to Paulownia leading it to be of proposed hybrid origin from Phrymaceae and Paulowniaceae. Due to chloroplast and mitochondrial data showing Wightia as sister to Phrymaceae it is proposed that a new family Wightiaceae be recognized.
Rhynchoglossum is a genus of plant in family Gesneriaceae. In recent times, members of the former genus Klugia are also included. Species within the broader genus are found in India, southern China to New Guinea and about three species in tropical America. The genus has a leaf arrangement that is termed as alternate-distichous and the leaves are asymmetric in shape. The flowers have two lips. The older genus Klugia had four stamens compared to the typical two but Klugia from southern India are found to be very close based on molecular evidence.
Sanango is a genus of flowering plants containing a single species, Sanango racemosum. The genus was originally placed in family Loganiaceae but has since been variously placed in Scrophulariaceae, Gesneriaceae and Buddlejaceae. As of 2016 it is considered to be the sister genus to the family Gesneriaceae as previously defined, and the family was tentatively enlarged to include the genus, pending a revision of the families included in Lamiales. It has been placed as the only genus in the monotypic subfamily Sanangoideae.
Fieldia australiana is a species of flowering plant in the family Gesneriaceae. It is a small tree from eastern Australian rainforests. It has also been placed as the sole species in the monotypic genus Lenbrassia.
The Didymocarpoideae are a subfamily of plants in the family Gesneriaceae. It was formerly the subfamily Cyrtandroideae. This subfamily consists mostly of tropical and subtropical Old World genera, found in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. One species is native to Central and South America.
The Gesnerioideae are a subfamily of plants in the family Gesneriaceae: based on the type genus Gesneria. Although genera typically originate in the New World, some species have become widely distributed as ornamental plants.
Rhynchotechum is a genus of plants in the family Gesneriaceae, subfamily Didymocarpoideae. Species distribution records are mostly from India, Sri Lanka, China through to southern Japan, Indo-China and Malesia through to New Guinea.
Lysionotus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. It occurs in the Himalayas, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. The genus was described by David Don in 1822.
Codonanthopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. Its native range is from southern Mexico through tropical America to Bolivia and most of Brazil. Codonanthopsis species are generally trailing epiphytes with pale flowers. Most have a mutualistic relationship with tree-living ants: the plants provide the ants with food, including nectar, and give their nests structure and support, while the ants disperse the plants' seeds. The genus was considerably expanded in 2013 when species were transferred from Codonanthe. Some Codonanthopsis species are cultivated as houseplants, when they may be grown in hanging baskets.
Lesia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae, subfamily Gesnerioideae.
Fieldia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae, native to New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria in Australia. It has at times been treated as monotypic, with one species, F. australis. Two are accepted as of April 2021 by sources that include Lenbrassia in Fieldia.
Cobananthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae, with a single species Cobananthus calochlamys. It is sometimes included in the genus Alloplectus, but molecular phylogenetic studies suggest that the two genera are not closely related, with Cobananthus more closely related to Alsobia.
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. The relationship of Rufodorsia with the genus Oerstedina is uncertain, as of April 2021. It is native to montane cloud forest in Central America.
Oerstedina is a genus of epiphytic flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae, native to Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama. The relationship of Oerstedina to the genus Rufodorsia is uncertain, as of April 2021.
