Cyrtandra (plant)

Cyrtandra
an unidentified species
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Gesneriaceae
Genus: Cyrtandra
J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
Species

600+, see text

Cyrtandra is a genus of flowering plants containing about 600 species,[1] with more being discovered often,[2] and is thus the largest genus in the family Gesneriaceae.[3] These plants are native to Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the centre of diversity in Southeast Asia and the Malesian region.[3] The genus is common, but many species within it are very rare, localized, endangered endemic plants.[2] The species can be difficult to identify because they are highly polymorphic and because they readily hybridize with each other.[1] The plants may be small herbs, vines, shrubs, epiphytes, or trees. The genus is characterized in part by having two stamens, and most species have white flowers, with a few red-, orange-, yellow- and pink-flowered species known. Almost all species live in rainforest habitats.[2]

It is an example of a supertramp genus.[2]

Hawaiian Cyrtandra are known as ha‘iwale.[1]

Cyrtandra platyphylla

Species include:

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Clermontia and Cyrtandra. DNA Barcoding Endemic Hawaiian Species Project. University of Hawaii, Hilo.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Quentin C. B. Cronk, Michael Kiehn, Warren L. Wagner & James F. Smith (2005). "Evolution of Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae) in the Pacific Ocean: the origin of a supertramp clade". American Journal of Botany 92 (6): 1017–1024. doi:10.3732/ajb.92.6.1017. JSTOR 4126079. PMID 21652486.
  3. 3.0 3.1 David H. Lorence and Steven Perlman (2007). "A new species of Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae) from Hawai'i, Hawaiian Islands". Novon 17 (3): 357–361. doi:10.3417/1055-3177(2007)17[357:ANSOCG]2.0.CO;2. JSTOR 20406191.
  4. Cyrtandra cordifolia at the Oahu board of water suppy.
  5. Warren L. Wagner & David H. Lorence (2000). "A reassessment of Cyrtandra kealiae and C. limahuliensis (Gesneriaceae)". Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 63: 17–20. hdl:10088/7612.

Further reading

External links