Hemiboea

Full name and orig. publication: Hemiboea C.B.Clarke, in Hook., Icon. pl. 18: tab. 1798 (Oct. 1888).

Etymology: From the Greek ήμι, hemi = half, and Boea, referring to the fact that only one of the two carpels is fertile.

Synonyms: -

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

Description: Perennial caulescent herbs with erect stem. Leaves opposite, petiolate, lamina ovate or lanceolate. Cymes in the axils of the uppermost leaves, several- to many-flowered, flowers enclosed by large, connate bracteoles forming a boat-shaped, semi-globose or urceolate involucre. Sepals connate in lower part, 3-veined. Corolla white, pale yellow or rose-coloured, funnel-shaped, limb bilabiate, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, lobes rounded. Stamens 2, inserted above base or below middle of corolla tube; filaments slender or filiform; anthers apically coherent, thecae parallel, not confluent; staminodes 2 or 3. Nectary annular. Ovary slender cylindrical, bilocular, only upper (adaxial) locule fertile; stigma truncate or capitate. Capsule cylindrical, loculicidally dehiscent.

Chromosome number: 2n = 32, 36.

Species number: Ca. 25.

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: Hemiboea follicularis C.B.Clarke

Distribution: C & S China (all spp.), Taiwan, N Vietnam, Japan (Ryukyu Islands). 

Ecology: Growing in forests and at forest margins on rocks and in wet places, in rock crevices by streams and in other wet, shady places in karst regions; 80-2500m.

Notes:  Hemiboea can be recognized by the caulescent habit, the large connate bracteoles forming an involucre and the ovary/fruit in which one carpel is sterile.
Wang & al. (1990) refer the Chinese species to two sections:
(1) sect. Subcapitatae C.B.Clarke,
(2) sect. Hemiboea

Selected references: Li, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 25: 81-92, 220-230 (1987); Wang et al. in Wu & Raven (eds.), Fl. China 18: 294-301 (1998); Lu et al., Acta Bot. Yunnan. 24(3): 377-382 (2002), karyol.; Li & Liu, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 42: 537-540 (2004), new sp.

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

Illustrations:

Hemiboea follicularis C.B.Clarke, type species

Ying et al., Endem. gen. seed pl. China, Fig. 115 (1993), with permission of Science Press, Beijing

Hemiboea cavaleriei H.Lev. ssp. paucinervis W.T.Wang & Z.Y.Li

China, Yunnan, Xichou county, Fa Dou, phot. M. Möller (2002)
Left: young (closed) fruits
Right: open fruits
Hemiboea subcapitata H.Lev.

China, Yunnan, Maguan county, Chuangtianping, phot. M. Möller (2002)
Left: flowers still inculded in the connate bracteoles
Right: flowering specimen

 


last modified: 2007-01-05