Plowmanianthus
Encyclopedia
Plowmanianthus Faden & C.R.Hardy is a genus of plants with 5 species and 2 subspecies in the family Commelinaceae
(the spiderwort and dayflower family). The genus is distributed from Panama
to Amazonian Peru
and Brazil
.
of the tribe Tradescantieae of the flowering plant family Commelinaceae
. It has 5 species and 2 subspecies, all of which were described with the circumscription of the genus itself by Hardy and Faden (2004).
, typically unbranched herbs with somewhat succulent, strap-shaped leaves. In the wild, plants grow on the floor of primary rainforests, shallowly rooted in the humus-rich and leaf-litter layers.
Plowmanianthus resembles its close relative, the epiphytic genus Cochliostema
, but is smaller (its leaves reach only to ca. 30 cm in length) and is not epiphytic. Its flowers are also much smaller, lack the spirally coiled anthers of Cochliostema, and are usually cleistogamous (i.e., they usually never open).
Commelinaceae
Commelinaceae is a family of flowering plants. In less formal contexts, the group is referred to as the dayflower family or spiderwort family. It is one of five families in the order Commelinales and by far the largest of these with an estimated 650 species in 40 genera. Well known genera include...
(the spiderwort and dayflower family). The genus is distributed from Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
to Amazonian Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Systematics
Plowmanianthus is a member of the subtribe DichorisandrinaeDichorisandrinae
- Overview :The Dichorisandrinae is a subtribe within the tribe Tradescantieae of the flowering plant family Commelinaceae. It consists of 5 genera and ca. 51 species....
of the tribe Tradescantieae of the flowering plant family Commelinaceae
Commelinaceae
Commelinaceae is a family of flowering plants. In less formal contexts, the group is referred to as the dayflower family or spiderwort family. It is one of five families in the order Commelinales and by far the largest of these with an estimated 650 species in 40 genera. Well known genera include...
. It has 5 species and 2 subspecies, all of which were described with the circumscription of the genus itself by Hardy and Faden (2004).
Morphology
RosetteRosette (botany)
In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves, with all the leaves at a single height.Though rosettes usually sit near the soil, their structure is an example of a modified stem.-Function:...
, typically unbranched herbs with somewhat succulent, strap-shaped leaves. In the wild, plants grow on the floor of primary rainforests, shallowly rooted in the humus-rich and leaf-litter layers.
Plowmanianthus resembles its close relative, the epiphytic genus Cochliostema
Cochliostema
Cochliostema is a genus of plants with two species in the family Commelinaceae . The genus occurs from southern Nicaragua to southern Ecuador.-Systematics:...
, but is smaller (its leaves reach only to ca. 30 cm in length) and is not epiphytic. Its flowers are also much smaller, lack the spirally coiled anthers of Cochliostema, and are usually cleistogamous (i.e., they usually never open).