Deinocheilos

Full name and orig. publication: Deinocheilos W.T.Wang, Guihaia 6: 1 (June 1986).

Etymology: From the Greek δεινος, deinos = excessive, exceeding, tremendous, and χειλος, cheilos = lip, alluding to the large lower lip of the corolla. 

Synonyms: -

Infrafamilial position: Didymocarpoid Gesneriaceae - "Advanced Asiatic and Malesian genera" (Weber 2004).

Description: Perennial acaulescent rosette herbs. Leaves many, alternate, petiolate, lamina elliptical, dentate. Cymes pedunculate, few- to several-flowered, bracteoles linear. Sepals free to base, linear. Corolla white or pale purple, tubular to funnel-shaped, bilabiate, upper lip triangular or semiorbicular, undivided, lower lip 3-lobed. Stamens 2, exserted; filaments long, slender, inserted above middle of corolla tube; anthers basifixed, apically coherent or not; staminodes 3 or absent. Nectary cyathiform. Ovary slender cylindrical; style shorter than ovary; stigma small, complanate-capitate. Capsule slender cylindrical, loculicidally dehiscent.ia

Chromosome number: Unknown.

Species number: 2 [D. sichuanense W.T.Wang, D. jiangxiense W.T.Wang].

Species names (incl. publication and synonyms): See Skog, L.E. & J.K. Boggan. 2005: World checklist of Gesneriaceae: http://persoon.si.edu/Gesneriaceae/Checklist.

Type species: Deinocheilos sichuanense W.T.Wang

Distribution: S China (W Sichuan, S Jiangxi). 

Ecology: Growing on rocks in forested areas, c. 1200m.

Notes: The genus has a superficial resemblance to Tremacron, but, among other characters, differs in having only two fertile stamens.

Selected references: Wang & al. in Wu & Raven (eds.), Fl. China 18: 309-310 (1998).

Bibliography: See Skog, L.E. & J.K. Boggan. 2005. Bibliography of the Gesneriaceae. 2^nd edition: http://persoon.si.edu/Gesneriaceae/Bibliography.

Illustrations:

Deinocheilos sichuanense W.T.Wang, type species Ying T.S. et al., The endemic genera of seed plants in China, Fig. 110 (1993), with permission.

last modified: 2007-07-13