Full name and orig. publication: Litostigma Y.G.Wei, F.Wen & Mich.Möller, Edinburgh J. Bot. 67(1): 178 (-179) (Feb. 2010).
Etymology: From the Greek litos = plain, simple, and Latin stigma = stigma, alluding to the simple structure of the stigma.
Synonyms: -
Infrafamilial position: Didimocarpoid Gesneriaceae – Basal Asiatic genera (Weber 2004).
Description: Perennial, acaulescent, rhizomatous herbs. Leaves basal, petiolate. Cymes axillary, single-flowered, with two bracteoles. Calyx actinomorphic, 5-lobed. Corolla infundibuliform, ventrally slightly pouched, limb bilabiate, adaxial lip 2-lobed, abaxial lip 3-lobed, lobes orbicular to ovate. Fertile stamens 2, inserted on abaxial side of tube, anthers coherent; staminodes 3, inserted on the adaxial side of the tube. Disc annular. Ovary narrowly ovoid, unilocular, with two parietal placentae projecting into the locula; style elongate (4x longer than ovary); stigma crateri- or disciform. Capsule elongate-ovoid, dehiscing by 4 valves.
Chromosome number: unknown
Species number: 2 (Litostigma coriaceifolium Y.G.Wei, F.Wen & Mich.Möller and Litostigma crystallinum Y.M.Shui & W.H.Chen)
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: Litostigma coriaceifolium Y.G.Wei, F.Wen & Mich.Möller
Distribution: China (Guizhou, Yunnan).
Ecology: Growing on wet limestone rocks and at the entrance of caves.
Notes: The genus is difficult to characterise, as it does not exhibit catchy morphological characters. The species represent simply rosette plants with large, blue and diandrous flowers arising singly from the leaf axils. The molecular data presented by Wei et al. (2010), however, show that the genus occupies an isolated position and, surprisingly, belongs to the group of (otherwise mostly tetrandrous) basal Asiatic and European didymocarpoid genera.
Selected references: Wei, Y.G. et al., Edinburgh J. Bot. 67(1): 161-184 (2010), orig. descr., molec. data.
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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Litostigma coriaceifolium Y.G.Wei, F.Wen & Mich.Möller, type species Wei, Y.G. et al., Fig. 3 (2010). |
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Litostigma coriaceifolium Y.G.Wei, F.Wen & Mich.Möller, type species Wei, Y.G. et al., Fig. 3 (2010). |
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Litostigma coriaceifolium Y.G.Wei, F.Wen & Mich.Möller, type species Wei, Y.G. et al., Fig. 5 (2010). |
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Litostigma crystallinum Y.M.Shui & W.H.Chen Wei, Y.G. et al., Fig. 7 (2010). |
last modified: 2010-09-22