Hemiboeopsis

Full name and orig. publication: :Hemiboeopsis W.T.Wang, Acta Bot. Yunnan. 6: 397 (Nov. 1984).

Etymology: Composed of the generic name Hemiboea and the Greek suffix -όψις, -opsis = looking like, similar to. 

Synonyms: -

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

Description: Subshrubs, to 0,8 m tall. Leaves opposite, distant, petiolate, lamina papery, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, margin entire or repand-crenate. Cymes axillary, 3- to 7- flowered, peduncle short; bracteoles large, suborbicular or ovate-orbicular, glabrous. Sepals free to base, spathulate-linear. Corolla white or pale purple, funnel-shaped, slightly bilabiate, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, lobes rounded. Stamens 2, included; filaments slender, inserted below middle of corolla tube; anthers ellipsoid, dorsifixed, ventrally coherent, locules apically confluent, connective with a triangular appendage at apex; staminodes 2. Nectary annular. Ovary slender cylindrical, bilocular, placentation axile; style equalling ovary in length, with black glands near base; stigma bilobed. Capsule slender cylindrical, glabrous, verrucose, probably bivalved.

Chromosome number: Unknown.

Type and only species: Hemiboeopsis longisepala (H.W.Li) 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.

Distribution: S China (SE Yunnan), Laos. 

Ecology: Growing in thickets in valleys, in shady places along streams and in banana forests; 250-800m.

Notes: The genus differs from Hemiboea by both carpels being fertile.

Selected references: Wang et al. in Wu & Raven (eds.), Fl. China 18: 301-302 (1998).

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

Illustrations:

Hemiboeopsis longisepala (H.W.Li) W.T.Wang, type and only species Left: Ying T.S. et al., The endemic genera of seed plants in China, Fig. 116 (1993), with permission. Right: Li Z.Y & Wang Y.Z., Plants of Gesneriaceae in China, Fig. 1.394 (2004); with permission.

last modified: 2007-07-13