Seemannia
Encyclopedia
Seemannia is a New World
genus in the flowering plant
family Gesneriaceae
. There are four species in the genus, primarily found in the Andean
regions of South America
. The name honors the German botanist Berthold Carl Seemann
.
by gesneriad specialist Hans Wiehler
but has more recently been revived following phylogenetic and morphological research on relationships of Gloxinia and related genera, which suggested that Wiehler's generic concept of Gloxinia was overly broad and polyphyletic. Although now recognized as a separate genus, Seemannia is closely related to Gloxinia and hybrids between the two genera are fertile although the two genera are very distinct morphologically.
Although all of the species occur in the Andes
, Seemannia purpurascens is unusual in having a disjunct distribution
, with populations in northern South America
(Guyana
, French Guiana
, and northern Brazil
) widely separated from Andean populations in southern Peru
and Bolivia
.
Species
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
genus 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...
. There are four species in the genus, primarily found in the Andean
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
regions of 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...
. The name honors the German botanist Berthold Carl Seemann
Berthold Carl Seemann
Berthold Carl Seemann 25 February 1825 Hanover, Germany - 10 October 1871 Nicaragua, Central America, was a German botanist. He travelled widely and collected and described plants from the Pacific and South America....
.
Taxonomic history
Seemannia was created in 1855 by Regel for the species Seemannia ternifolia (now considered a synonym of S. sylvatica). In 1976 Seemannia was synonymized under the genus GloxiniaGloxinia
Gloxinia can refer to:*The genus Gloxinia of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae*The plant species Sinningia speciosa, formerly classified in the genus Gloxinia and still commonly known by that name, in the family Gesneriaceae...
by gesneriad specialist Hans Wiehler
Hans Wiehler
Hans Joachim Wiehler was a German botanist who specialized in the plant family Gesneriaceae. In 1954 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana and a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Goshen Biblical Seminary in 1956. He married in 1958 and remained in the United...
but has more recently been revived following phylogenetic and morphological research on relationships of Gloxinia and related genera, which suggested that Wiehler's generic concept of Gloxinia was overly broad and polyphyletic. Although now recognized as a separate genus, Seemannia is closely related to Gloxinia and hybrids between the two genera are fertile although the two genera are very distinct morphologically.
Although all of the species occur in the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, Seemannia purpurascens is unusual in having a disjunct distribution
Disjunct distribution
In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically...
, with populations in northern 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...
(Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
, and northern 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...
) widely separated from Andean populations in southern 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 Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
.
Species
- Seemannia gymnostoma (southern Peru, Bolivia, northern ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
) - Seemannia nematanthodes (Bolivia, northern Argentina)
- Seemannia purpurascens (southern Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guiana, northern Brazil)
- Seemannia sylvatica (Peru, Bolivia, northern Argentina, ParaguayParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, southern Brazil)