Wight, Icon. pl. Ind. or. 4, t. 1349 (1850), as Didymocarpus tomentosus
Full name and orig. publication: Henckelia Spreng., Arbeit. 2: 405 (20 April 1817).
Etymology: Named in honor of count Leo F. V. Henckel von Donnersmark (1785-1861) a German administrator and passionate amateur botanist.
Synonyms: Roettlera Vahl (1804), nom. illeg., Loxocarpus R.Br. (1839), Codonoboea Ridl. (1923), Platyadenia B.L.Burtt (1971).
Infrafamilial position: Didymocarpoid Gesneriaceae - "Advanced Asiatic and Malesian genera" (Weber 2004).
Description: Perennial herbs, lignescent subshrubs or woody shrubs. Stem erect, ascending or creeping. Leaves opposite or alternate, shortly to long petiolate, lamina form very variable, ranging from ribbon-like to suborbicular, often ovate or lanceolate, usually hairy. Inflorescences axillary, pedunculate, single-flowered or cymes of many flower pairs. Sepals 5, free to base or basally connate. Corolla variously shaped and colored, often infundibuliform, rarely campanulate or flat-faced. Stamens 2, usually included in the corolla, filaments long, often with an apical spur, anthers cohering. Nectary cylindrical, cup-shaped, sometimes lacking. Ovary usually slender conical or ovoid. Fruit usually a long plagiocarpic capsule, held horizontally and opening on the upper side. Seeds numerous, with various testa patterns.
Chromosome number: 2n = 18, 36.
Species number: C. 180, some undescribed.
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: Henckelia incana (Vahl) Spreng.
Distribution: From S India and Sri Lanka over Sumatra, S Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, to the Philippines, Sulawesi and New Guinea.
Ecology: In primary forests, often on sloping ground, river banks, or on damp rocks.
Notes: The genus has been recently re-established for the inclusion of most of the Malesian species previously described under Didymocarpus (Weber & Burtt 1998d, Vitek & al. 2000). Salient differences exist in the fruit (plagiocarpic, dehiscence on the upper side only), the habit (continuous growth, no seasonal shoots), floral features and chromosome number (remarkable constancy of x = 9).
Five sections are recognized by Weber & Burtt (1998):
(1) sect. Henckelia (leaves alternate, rosulate, flowers small, ventricose, without nectary, fruits rather short; S India, Sri Lanka),
(2) sect. Didymanthus (C.B.Clarke) A.Weber & B.L.Burtt (leaves opposite, pair-flowered cymes, flower form variable, a cylindrical or cup-shaped nectary mostly present; W Malesia),
(3) sect. Heteroboea (Benth.) A.Weber & B.L.Burtt (leaves alternate, usually tufted on top of an unbranched stem, axillary inflorescences single-flowered, fruits long; from Sumatra to New Guinea),
(4) sect. Loxocarpus (R.Br.) A.Weber & B.L.Burtt (leaves alternate, rosulate, usually silver-hairy, pair-flowered cymes, corolla short-tubed to flat-faced, nectary absent, fruit short, usually with a basal hump; W Malesia),
(5) sect. Glossadenia A.Weber & B.L.Burtt (leaves alternate, distant or tufted; flowers in much condensed cymes, nectary unilateral, forming a ventral blade; W Malesia).
Selected references: Weber & Burtt, Beitr. Biol. Pflanzen 70: 293-363 (1998, "1997"), re-establ.; Vitek, Weber & Burtt, Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 102 B: 477-530 (2000), list & nomencl. of spp.; Burtt, Thai Forest Bull. (Botany) 29: 81-109 (2001), annot. checklist, new spp. (Thailand).
Bibliography: See Skog, L.E. & J.K. Boggan. 2005. Bibliography of the Gesneriaceae. 2nd edition: http://persoon.si.edu/Gesneriaceae/Bibliography.
Illustrations:
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Henckelia incana
(Vahl) Spreng., type of genus and section Henckelia
Wight, Icon. pl. Ind. or. 4, t. 1349 (1850), as Didymocarpus tomentosus |
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Henckelia innominata (B.L.Burtt) A.Weber
& B.L.Burtt
S. India, Nilghiri Hills, phot. S. Vogel (1993) |
|
Henckelia
hispida (Ridl.) A.Weber
Penins. Malaysia, Pahang, Cameron Highlands, phot. A. Weber (1979) |
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Henckelia hispida
(Ridl.) A.Weber
Penins. Malaysia, Pahang, Cameron Highlands, phot. A. Weber (1987) |
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Henckelia malayana (Hook.f.)
A.Weber
Penins. Malaysia, Pahang, Fraser's Hill, phot. A. Weber (1984) |
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Henckelia puncticulata (Ridl.)
A.Weber
Penins. Malaysia, Johore, Kota Tinggi, phot. A. Weber (19..) |
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Henckelia puncticulata (Ridl.)
A.Weber
Penins. Malaysia, Johore, Kota Tinggi, phot. A. Weber (19..) |
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Henckelia geitleri
(A.Weber) A.Weber
Penins. Malaysia, Pahang, Sg. Pandan, phot. A. Weber (1987) |
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Henckelia crinita (Jack)
Spreng. (type of section)
Penins. Malaysia, Penang, phot. A. Weber (1986) |
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Henckelia quinquevulnera
(Ridl.) A.Weber
Penins. Malaysia, Selangor, Templer Park, phot. A. Weber (1987) |
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Henckelia browneana A.Weber (type
of section)
Penins. Malaysia, Penang, phot. A. Weber (1979) |
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Henckelia
caerulea
(Ridl.) A.Weber
Penins. Malaysia, G. Hijau, phot. A. Weber (1995) |
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Henckelia flavobrunnea (Ridl.) A.Weber
(type of section)
Penins. Malaysia, Pahang, Bkt. Teresek, phot. A. Weber (1979) |
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Henckelia pyroliflora
(Ridl.) A.Weber
Penins. Malaysia, Pahang, Maran, phot. A. Weber (1986) |
last modified: 2007-01-05