Besleria is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of ca. 200 species of large herb

Herb

Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...

s and soft-stemmed subshrub

Subshrub

A subshrub or dwarf shrub is a short woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a similar term.It is distinguished from a shrub by its ground-hugging stems and lower height, with overwintering perennial woody growth typically less than 10–20 cm tall, or by being only weakly woody and/or persisting...

s or shrub

Shrub

A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...

s in the flowering plant

Flowering plant

The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...

 family Gesneriaceae

Gesneriaceae

Gesneriaceae is a family of flowering plants consisting of ca. 150 genera and ca. 3,200 species in the Old World and New World tropics and subtropics, with a very small number extending to temperate areas. Many species have colorful and showy flowers and are cultivated as ornamental plants.Most...

. They occur in Central America

Central America

Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

, South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, and the West Indies.

The closely related genus Gasteranthus

Gasteranthus

Gasteranthus is a genus of 35 species of herbs and soft-stemmed subshrubs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. The species occur in Central America and South America, from southernmost Mexico to Bolivia. Numerous species are threatened with extinction, mainly due to deforestation...

was previously included in Besleria. The two genera have been separated on the basis of stoma

Stoma

In botany, a stoma is a pore, found in the leaf and stem epidermis that is used forgas exchange. The pore is bordered by a pair of specialized parenchyma cells known as guard cells that are responsible for regulating the size of the opening...

tal (aggregated in Gasteranthus, scattered in Besleria) and fruit (fleshy capsule

Capsule (fruit)

In botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. A capsule is a structure composed of two or more carpels that in most cases is dehiscent, i.e. at maturity, it splits apart to release the seeds within. A few capsules are indehiscent, for example...

 in Gasteranthus, berry

Berry

The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....

 in Besleria) characters.

Selected species

• Besleria aggregata
• Besleria comosa
  Besleria comosa
  Besleria comosa is a species of plant in the Gesneriaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
  
  
• Besleria fasciculata
• Besleria formosa
• Besleria leucostoma
• Besleria lutea L.
• Besleria macahensis
• Besleria melancholica
• Besleria miniata
  Besleria miniata
  Besleria miniata is a species of plant in the Gesneriaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-Source:* Clark, J.L., Skog, L.E. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 20 August 2007....
  
  
• Besleria modica
  Besleria modica
  Besleria modica is a species of plant in the Gesneriaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-Source:* Clark, J.L., Skog, L.E. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 20 August 2007....
  
  
• Besleria notabilis
• Besleria princeps
• Besleria quadrangulata
  Besleria quadrangulata
  Besleria quadrangulata is a species of plant in the Gesneriaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
  
  
• Besleria triflora

External links

• Besleria from The Genera of Gesneriaceae