Depanthus

Full name and orig. publication: Depanthus S.Moore, J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 45: 373 (6 Sept. 1921).

Etymology: Apparently from the Greek δεπας, depas = cup, bowl, and άνθος, anthos = flower, referring to the nearly actinomorphic campanulate corolla.

Synonyms: - 

Infrafamilial position: Coronantheroid Gesneriaceae / Gesnerioideae–Coronanthereae.

Description: Small trees to 10 m or more tall. Leaves opposite, often anisophyllous. Cymes axillary, long-pedunculate, few-flowered. Sepals connate at base, triangular, persistent. Corolla short- and broad-tubed-campanulate, limb (sub)regular, lobes small, recurved. Stamens 5, included, filaments of equal length, inserted near corolla base, tomentose in lower part, anthers free, locules apically not confluent. Disc lacking?. Ovary superior, unilocular; style short; stigma bilobed. Fruit an ovoid, shortly rostrate capsule, septicidally dehiscent.

Chromosome number: Unknown.

Species number: 2 [D. glaber (C.B.Clarke) S.Moore, D. pubescens Guillaumin].

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: Depanthus glaber (C.B.Clarke) S.Moore

Distribution: New Caledonia. 

Ecology: Occurring in montane forests.

Notes: The genus is still very little known. The type species was first described in Coronanthera. Differences used for generic separation are the actinomorphic, campanulate corolla with five equal stamens (in Coronanthera zygomorphic with 4 fertile stamens). Burtt (1998a: 7), however, stated: "Unless confirmatory characters are found, it should be returned to Coronanthera."

Selected references: Wiehler, Selbyana 6: 160 (1983).

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

Illustrations:

Depanthus glaber (C.B.Clarke) S.Moore, type species J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 45, pl. 23 (1921), orig. illustration

last modified: 2007-01-05