Geogenanthus

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Cladus: Commelinids
Ordo: Commelinaless

Familia: Commelinaceae
Subfamilia: Commelinoideae
Tribus: Tradescantieae
Subtribus: Dichorisandrinae
Genus: Geogenanthus
Species: G. ciliatus – G. poeppigii – G. rhizanthus
Name

Geogenanthus Ule, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 11: 524 (1913)

Type species: Geogenanthus poeppigii (Miq.) Faden, Taxon 30: 35 (1981). Designated as its synonym Geogenanthus wittianus (Ule) Ule, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 11: 524 (1913)

Synonyms

Basionym
Chamaeanthus Ule, Verh. Bot. Vereins Prov. Brandenburg 50: 71 (1908 publ. 1909), nom. illeg.
Homotypic
Uleopsis Fedde, Just's Bot. Jahresber. 37(2): 77 (1911)

References

Ule, E.H.G. (1913) Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis 11: 524. BHL

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2015. Geogenanthus in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2015 Aug 29. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2015. Geogenanthus. Published online. Accessed: Aug 29 2015.
Tropicos.org 2015. Geogenanthus. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 29 Aug 2015.

Geogenanthus is a genus of plants with 3 species in the family Commelinaceae (the spiderwort and dayflower family).[1] The genus is distributed from Colombia to Amazonian Peru and Brazil. Two of its species (Geogenanthus ciliatus and Geogenanthus poeppigii) are occasionally found in the horticultural trade as house plants.
Systematics

Geogenanthus is a member of the subtribe Dichorisandrinae of the tribe Tradescantieae of the flowering plant family Commelinaceae.
Morphology

Aerial shoots unbranched and determinate in length, up to 0.75 m, with a terminal rosette of leaves. The leaves at lower nodes mere tubular leaf sheaths. All plant parts somewhat succulent. In the wild, plants grow on the floor of primary rainforests and possess a shallow underground, short, branching rhizome. Unlike its closest relatives in the family, Cochliostema and Plowmanianthus,[2] its roots are both tuberous (although weakly so) and actually penetrate the soil.

Flowers consist of 3 green-brown sepals, 3 blue, pink or purple petals fringed with moniliform hairs, 4-6 stamens - the posterior three of which may be bearded with monilifiorm hairs, and 3 connate carpels. Its flowers have no fragrance detectable by the human nose.
References

Moore HE, Jr. 1954. The seersucker plant - Geogenanthus undatus. Baileya 2: 41-45.
Hardy CR .2001. Systematics of Cochliostema, Geogenanthus, and an undescribed genus in the spiderwort family, Commelinaceae. PhD Dissertation, Cornell University, Itaca, NY, USA.