[Chiritopsis]
Important notes
The genus Chiritopsis is presently not accepted. It has been included in Chirita sect: Gibbosaccus (Li & Wang, 2007; Möller & al. 2009), which is now the main component of the genus Primulina (see there).
The name of the species of the species mentioned and illustrated below now reads: Primulia repanda (W.T. Wang) Y.Z. Wang
Chiritopsis (in its traditional sense)
Chiritopsis repanda W.T.Wang, type species
Ying T.S. et al. (1993), The endemic genera of seed plants in China, Fig. 108; with permission
Chiritopsis repanda W.T.Wang, type species
Photo: A.Weber (1998), cult. RBG Edinburgh
Chiritopsis (in its traditional sense)
Full name and orig. publication: Chiritopsis W.T.Wang, Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin, 1: 21 (21 July 1981), trans. & reimp. in Contr. New York Bot. Gard. 16: 5, 25 (1986).
Etymology: Composed of the generic name Chirita and the Greek suffix -όψις, -opsis = looking like, similar to.
Synonyms: -
Infrafamilial position: Didymocarpoid Gesneriaceae - "Advanced Asiatic and Malesian genera" (Weber 2004).
Description: Perennial rosette herbs with stout rhizome. Leaves with long petiole, lamina elliptic, rhomboid-ovate, rhomboid or suborbicular, undivided or bipinnatifid, both surfaces puberulous. Cymes pedunculate, several-flowered, bracteoles narrow lanceolate. Sepals free to base, lanceolate. Corolla pale yellow or white, tubular, bilabiate, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, lobes rounded. Stamens 2, glabrous; filaments inserted near base of corolla tube, slightly curved; anthers coherent, confluent at apex; staminodes 2 or 3. Nectary annular or interrupted. Ovary ovoid, style long, slender; stigma bilobed, with enlarged and sometimes bilobed lower lip. Capsule ovoid, loculicidally dehiscent.
Chromosome number: Unknown.
Species number: 9.
Species names (given only in case of few species)
Type species: Chiritopsis repanda W.T.Wang
Distribution: S China (Guangxi, N Guangdong and S Anhui).
Ecology: On rocks along streams and in wet valleys, 100-500 m.
Notes: Stigma shape suggests a closer affinity with Chirita, from which the genus differs by the small flowers and the short, ovoid capsule.
Selected references: Wang et al. in Wu & Raven (eds.), Fl. China 18: 345-348 (1998).
Tax. details, cytology, and bibliography: Gesneriaceae Resource Centre (GRC). Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Page content and update responsibility/contact: Michael Möller.
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