Lomatogonium 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 18 species in the family Gentianaceae

Gentianaceae

Gentianaceae are a family of flowering plants of 87 genera and over 1500 species. Flowers are actinomorphic and bisexual with fused sepals and petals. The stamens are attached to the inside of the petals and alternate with the corolla lobes. There is a glandular disk at the base of the gynoecium,...

, found in cool temperate

Temperate

In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...

 to subarctic regions of Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

, with two species (L. carinthiacum, L. rotatum) also in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 and one species (L. rotatum) also in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. By far the highest diversity is in China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, with 16 species.

They are annual

Annual plant

An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...

 or perennial

Perennial plant

A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...

 plants, growing to 5-15 cm tall, with a basal rosette of 2-3 cm long leaves

Leaf

A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....

, and sometimes secondary whorls of smaller leaves on the flower stems. The flower

Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...

s are 2 cm across, with the five white to pale blue petals joined at the base.

Species

• Lomatogonium bellum
• Lomatogonium brachyantherum
• Lomatogonium carinthiacum
• Lomatogonium chilaiensis
• Lomatogonium chumbicum
• Lomatogonium cuneifolium
• Lomatogonium forrestii
• Lomatogonium gamosepalum
• Lomatogonium lijiangense
• Lomatogonium longifolium
• Lomatogonium macranthum
• Lomatogonium micranthum
• Lomatogonium oreocharis
• Lomatogonium perenne
• Lomatogonium rotatum
• Lomatogonium sichuanense
• Lomatogonium sikkimense
• Lomatogonium stapfii
• Lomatogonium zhongdianense

External links

• Flora of China: Lomatogonium