Negria

Full name and orig. publication: Negria F.Muell., Fragm. Phytogr. Austral. 7: 151 (Dec. 1871).

Etymology: Named in honor of Cristoforo Negri (1808-1896), a renowned Italian geographer, diplomat, and writer. 

Synonyms: -

Infrafamilial position: Coronantheroid Gesneriaceae (Gesnerioideae – Coronanthereae).

Description: Small tree, 6 to 9 m tall; wood light and brittle. Branches spreading, thickish, brittle. Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4, clustered towards the ends of the branches, petiolate, lamina ovate or elliptic, softly pubescent below, with rough pubescence above, margin finely and very shallowly denticulate. Cymes axillary, usually 3-flowered. Sepals connate in lower part to form a broad-tubed cup, lobes linear-filiform. Corolla yellow, with orange-red spots on lobes and in throat; tube broad, slightly curved; limb oblique, bilabiate, lobes reflexed. Stamens 4, of equal length, exserted; filaments inserted in the middle of corolla tube; anthers broadly ovoid, free. Disc a broad ring, adnate to ovary base. Ovary conical-ovoid, slightly curved; style long, exserted; stigma bilobed. Fruit an ovoid, beaked capsule, dehiscing by four valves.

Chromosome number: 2n = ± 90.

Type and only species: Negria rhabdothamnoides F.Muell.

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: Endemic on Lord Howe Island (SW Pacific). 

Ecology: Growing in montane rain forest.

Selected references: Greene, Curtis' Bot. Mag. 179: 659 (1973), Wiehler, Selbyana 6: 160 (1983).

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

Illustrations:

Negria rhabdothamnoides F.Muell., only species Bot. Mag. N.S. t. 179 (1973)

last modified: 2007-01-05