Gerrardanthus Harv. ex Benth. & Hook.F.

Genus

Angiosperms > Cucurbitales > Cucurbitaceae

Characteristics

Medium to rather large usually tuberous-rooted climbers, with the stems becoming somewhat woody when old. Leaves simple; blade ovate-cordate in outline, unlobed or palmately 3–5-lobed. Tendrils apically bifid. Flowers rather small, yellowish-or brownish-orange, dioecious, practically regular to strongly zygomorphic. Male flowers in few-to many-flowered panicles; receptacle-tube shallow, saucer-shaped; lobes small, dentiform; petals 5, usually somewhat unequal; stamens 5, all 1-thecous, in 2 pairs with 1 single, the single stamen usually reduced to a staminode; anthers of paired stamens adpressed to one another; connective apically appendaged; thecae short, straight. Female flowers in rather few-flowered panicles; ovary trigonous; ovules several, pendulous; perianth as in ♂ flowers; styles 3. Fruit a flask-shaped trigonous pendulous capsule, dry, brownish and opening by an apical triradiate slit when ripe. Seeds fusiform, with a large membranous wing.. Fig. 25, p. 146.
More
Male flowers in paniculoid axillary fascicles. Receptacle-tube broad, shallow, lobes small. Petals 5, free, unequal. Stamens 4, all 1-thecous, in 2 pairs united by their anthers; fifth stamen reduced to a subulate staminode; filaments inserted on receptacle-tube; connective apically ± produced; thecae short, straight.
female flowers solitary or few-fasciculate; ovary trigonous; ovules several, pendulous; perianth similar to that of male flowers; styles 3.
Fruit an obconic-cylindric, trigonous capsule, dry, brownish, dehiscent by an apical triradiate slit.
Scandent herbs, stems becoming woody when old, usually arising from perennial tuberous rootstock.
Seeds elongated, narrow, with an apical membraneous wing.
Flowers small, brownish, dioecious, ± zygomorphic.
Leaves simple, petiolate.
Tendrils apically 2-fid.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention -
Sexuality dioecy
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) -
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Gerrardanthus unspecified picture

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:13294-1
WFO ID wfo-4000015580
COL ID 4N7V
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Atheranthera Gerrardanthus

Lower taxons

Gerrardanthus lobatus Gerrardanthus paniculatus Gerrardanthus tomentosus Gerrardanthus grandiflorus Gerrardanthus macrorhizus