Emarhendia

Full name and orig. publication: Emarhendia R.Kiew, A.Weber & B.L.Burtt, Beitr. Biol. Pflanzen 70 (26 Nov. 1998, "1997").

Etymology: Named for M. [Murray] R. [Ross] Henderson (1899-1982), a Scottish botanist working mainly in Singapore and the Malay Peninsula.

Synonyms: - 

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

Description: Small saxicolous herbs. Stem ascending, bearing long viscid hairs. Leaves opposite, tufted, thin-membranous, viscid-hairy, petiolate, lamina ovate, with (often obliquely) cordate base, margin deeply and coarsely (partly doubly) serrate. Cymes with long slender peduncle and several flower pairs. Sepals 5, free to base. Corolla small, tubular-campanulate, bluish-white, limb bilabiate, the two lobes of upper lip with a patch of short, densely packed glands, lower lip 3-lobed. Stamens 2, enclosed in corolla, anthers cohering. Nectary absent. Ovary conical. Capsule straight, plagiocarpic, opening along upper side. Seeds with reticulate testa.

Chromosome number: 2n = 16.

Type and only species: Emarhendia bettiana (M.R.Hend.) R. Kiew, A.Weber & B.L.Burtt

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

Distribution: Malay Peninsula (Pahang: Bkt. Charas and vicinity). 

Ecology: On damp limestone rocks, especially at cave entrances. 

Notes: The genus is based on Paraboea bettiana M.R.Hend., which is discordant with the other species of Paraboea (Burtt 1984). A unique feature is the patch of glands on the upper lip of the corolla, also remarkable are the straight plagiocarpic fruits opening only on the upper side.

Selected references: Burtt, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 41: 401-452 (1984), rev. of Boea and allies; Kiew, Weber & Burtt, Beitr. Biol. Pflanzen 70 (1998, "1997"), orig. descr., morph.

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

Illustrations:

Emarhendia bettiana (M.R.Hend.) Kiew, A.Weber & B.L.Burtt

Left: habitat (penins. Malaysia, Pahang, Bkt. Charas, limestone cave)
Right: habit
Emarhendia bettiana (M.R.Hend.) Kiew, A.Weber & B.L.Burtt

Flower and fruit; from Kiew, Weber & Burtt, Beitr. Biol. Pflanzen 70: 383-403, fig. 2  (1998)
Emarhendia bettiana  (M.R.Hend.) Kiew, A.Weber & B.L.Burtt
Glands on upper lip

Left: from Kiew, Weber & Burtt, Beitr. Biol. Pflanzen 70: 383-403, fig. 3 (1998)
Right: SEM of glands
all photos and drawings: A. Weber

 


last modified: 2007-07-13