Bopopia
Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel
type and only species of Bopopia, plant habit and flower details
Morel et al. (2021), Fig. 5
Diagram of an axillary inflorescence, a complex pair-flowered cyme
Morel et al. (2021), Fig. 2
Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel
habit and details of stem, leaves and flower
Morel et al. (2021), Fig. 3. Photos: J.Munzinger
Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel
type and only species of Bopopia, upper plant part with complex axillary inflorescenses
Morel et al. (2021), Fig. 3b
Bopopia
Full name and orig. publication: Bopopia Munzinger & J.R.Morel, in Morel, Duminil & Munzinger, Europ. J. Tax. 88 (2021).
Etymology: Named for the land and people of Bopope (Pwöpwöp), in the vicinity of Mt Katalupaik, New Caledonia.
Synonyms: –
Infrafamilial position: Gesnerioideae-Coronanthereae-Negriinae (Morel et al. 2021).
Diagnosis: Bopopia differs from other genera of tribe Coronanthereae in its inflorescence structure: the many flowers are placed in complex axillary cymes, while in the other genera the flowers are in few-flowered cymes or solitary. With regard to subtr. Negriinae, Bopopia differs from Depanthus in the zygomorphic (vs. actinomorphic) flower and 4 (vs. 5) stamens, from Negria in the included (vs. exserted) stamens and connate (vs. free) anthers, from Lenbrassia in the bilobed (vs. spatulate) stigma.
Description (extracted from the species description in Morel et al. 2021). Shrub up to 5 m tall, rarely branched. Side branches angular, tomentulose. Leaves decussate, clustered at the top of branches, petiolate, lamina elliptic to obovate, axillary inflorescences complex pair-flowered cymes with many [(12-)15-32(-38)] flowers, bracteoles linear. Calyx of 5 equal lobes, slightly connate at base. Corolla zygomorphic, plain white, shortly ventricose, tube curved, limb of five inequal lobes, lobes oval to orbicular, rounded, strongly curled outwards, outer corolla surface tomentulose, inner surface glabrous. Fertile stamens 4, subequal, filaments flattened near base, adnate to base of corolla tube, anthers connate. Nectary ring-shaped, adnate to ovary base, rim even or shallowly lobed. Gynoecium ovoid, pubescent, bilocular; style short, stigma bilobed. Fruit and seed unknown.
Chromosome number: Unknown.
Type and only species: Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel.
Distribution: The genus/species is presently only known from New Caledonia's main island Grande Terre: North Province, south flank of Mt. Katalupaik, c. 500m a.s.l.
Ecology: Growing in dense humid forests, from low to medium elevations, on volcano-sedimentary substrate.
Notes: The paper of Morel et al. (2021) has some deficiencies with regard to inflorescence morphology: The axillary inflorescence, addressed as an "indeterminate thyrse", is an unusually complex pair-flowered cyme.
Selected references: Morel et al., Europ. J. Tax. 736: 82-101 (2021), orig. descr.
Tax. details, cytology, and bibliography: Gesneriaceae Resource Centre (GRC). Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Page content and update responsibility/contact: Anton Weber.
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