Gesneria

This article is about the plant genus. For the moth genus, see Gesneria (moth).

Gesneria
Gesneria ventricosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Gesneriaceae
Subfamily: Gesnerioideae
Genus: Gesneria
Plum. ex L. (1753)
Species[1]

62; see text

Synonyms[1]
  • Chorisanthera Oerst. (1858)
  • Codonoraphia Oerst. (1858)
  • Conradia Mart. (1829)
  • Duchartrea Decne. (1846)
  • Gesnera Plum. ex Adans. (1763), orth. var.
  • Herincquia Decne. ex Hérincq (1848)
  • Ophianthe Hanst. (1854)
  • Pentaraphia Lindl. (1827)
  • Vaupellia Griseb. (1862)

Gesneria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. It contains 62 species which are native to islands of the Caribbean.[1] The genus is classified in the tribe Gesnerieae along with the genera Bellonia, Pheidonocarpa, and Rhytidophyllum. Gesneria species are usually woody shrubs or subshrubs, and (with the closely related Rhytidophyllum) are unusual in the family in having alternately (rather than decussately) arranged leaves. A complete list of the accepted species and their synonyms can be found in the Smithsonian Institution's World Checklist of Gesneriaceae.

The genus name honors Conrad Gessner.

  1. ^ a b c Gesneria Plum. ex L. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 8 August 2024.