Gasteranthus

Taxobox
name = "Gasteranthus"
image_caption = "Haberlea rhodopensis"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
subclassis = Asteridae
unranked_ordo = Euasterids I
ordo = Lamiales
familia = Gesneriaceae
genus = "Gasteranthus"
genus_authority =
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =Some 35-40
synonyms ="Neobesleria"

"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 BoliviaWeber & Skog (2007)] . Numerous species are threatened with extinction, mainly due to deforestation.

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.

"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". [Wiehler (1975), Skog & Kvist (2000), Weber & Skog (2007)]

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.

elected species

* "Gasteranthus atratus"
* "Gasteranthus bilsaensis"
* "Gasteranthus carinatus"
* "Gasteranthus crispus"
* "Gasteranthus extinctus"
* "Gasteranthus imbaburensis"
* "Gasteranthus lateralis"
* "Gasteranthus macrocalyx"
* "Gasteranthus mutabilis"
* "Gasteranthus orientandinus"
* "Gasteranthus otongensis"
* "Gasteranthus perennis"
* "Gasteranthus tenellus"
* "Gasteranthus ternatus"
* "Gasteranthus timidus"
* "Gasteranthus trifoliatus"
* "Gasteranthus wendlandianus"

Footnotes

References

* (2000): Revision of "Gasteranthus" (Gesneriaceae). "Systematic Botany Monographs" 59: 1-118.
* (2007): [http://www.genera-gesneriaceae.at/genera/gasteranthus.htm "Gasteranthus"] . "In:" [http://www.genera-gesneriaceae.at/ The genera of Gesneriaceae. Basic information with illustration of selected species] (2nd ed.). Version of 2007-JAN-05. Retrieved 2007-SEP-20.
* (1975): "Besleria" L. and the re-establishment of "Gasteranthus" Benth. (Gesneriaceae). "Selbyana" 5: 11-60.