Ramonda

Etymology: Named in honour of Louis-Francois Èlisabeth Ramon de Carbonnières (1755-1827), an eminent French physician, botanist and geologist. His main merit is the exploration of the Pyrenees, where Ramonda is found. 

Synonyms: Myconia Lapeyr. (1813), non Neck. (1790), Chaixia Lapeyr. (1818), Lobirota Dulac (1867), Ramonda Caruel (1894).

Infrafamilial position: Didymocarpoid Gesneriaceae - "European genera” (Weber 2004).

Description: Subacaulescent rosette plants. Leaves alternate, radially spreading, (sub)sessile or with short winged petiole, ovate-spathulate to elliptical, obtuse, margin coarsely crenate-dentate, rugose, with ferrugineous hairs on lower surface. Cymes axillary, long pedunculate, flowers few, 5- to 4-merous, bracteoles absent. Sepals free, oblong-ovate. Corolla flat-faced, rotate, lobes elliptical-obovate, obtuse, lilac-blue, mouth withish, with a  conspicuous orange-yellow ring. Stamens 5 or 4, equalling the number of corolla lobes; filaments short, anthers large, ovate-triangular, with parallel thecae, not coherent, but ± forming a cone, opening apically. Nectary absent. Ovary ovoid- conical, style slender, much longer than anther cone; stigma small, capitate. Fruit a dry ellipsoidal-oblong capsule, dehiscing septicidally.

Chromosome number: 2n = 48, ± 96.

Species number: 3 [R. myconi (L.) Rchb., R. nathaliae Panc. & Petr., R. serbica Panc.].

Type species: Ramonda pyrenaica Pers., nom. illeg. = R. myconi (L.) Rchb.

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: Spain (Pyrenees and adjoining mountains, type species) and Balkan peninsula.

Ecology: Growing on shady and humid rocks in mountains, (50-)500-2000(-2800)m.

Notes: The melittophilous flowers exhibit perfectly the syndrome of oligandric pollen flowers.

Selected references: Rix & Webb., Fl. Europaea 3: 284-285 (1972).

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