Eucodonia

Full name and orig. publication: Eucodonia Hanst., Linnaea 26: 201 (April 1854, "1853").

Etymology: From the Greek εΰ, eu = true, genuine, proper, and κωδων, kōdōn = bell, referring to the widely open, (obliquely) campanulate flowers.

Synonyms: Achimenes Pers. subg. Eucodonia (Hanst.) Hanst. (1865), Achimenes Pers. sect. Eucodonia (Hanst.) Fritsch (1894).

Infrafamilial position: Gesnerioideae-Gesnerieae-Gloxiniinae (Weber et al. 2013).

Description: Small, perennial, terrestrial or saxicolous herbs, with scaly rhizomes. Stem succulent. Leaves opposite, pseudo-verticillate. Indumentum on stem and underside of leaves densely lanate-villous. Flowers axillary, solitary. Flowers obliquely campanulate, with long pedicel. Fruit a bivalved capsule.

Chromosome number: 2n = 24.

Species number: 2.

Species names (given only in case of few species): E. andrieuxii (DC.) Wiehler, E. verticillata (Martens & Galeotti) Wiehler

Type species: Eucodonia ehrenbergii Hanst. = E. verticillata (Martens & Galeotti) Wiehler.

Distribution: C & S Mexico.

Ecology: Terrestrial herb growing in wet and shaded places in forests.

Notes: The genus was re-established by Wiehler (1976) and restricted to the two species cited. No species has been added since. Eucodonia is closely related to (and was formerly included in) Achimenes. An important difference is the chromosome number (n= 12 vs. n = 11 in Achimenes). Hybrids with species of Achimenes, Smithiantha and “Gloxinia lindeniana” (now Gloxinella lindeniana) proved to be sterile and underline the genetically isolated position (Cooke & Lee 1966, Wiehler 1976, 1983). More recently, the molecular-systematic results of Roalson & al. 2003, 2005a,b, 2008) confirmed the separation from Achimenes.

Selected references: Wiehler, Selbyana 1: 374-404 (1976), re-establ., emend. & rev.; Cooke & Lee, Baileya 14(3): 92-101 (1966), hybr.; Wiehler, Selbyana 6: 1-219 (1983), synops. Neotrop. Gesn.; Roalson & al., Syst. Bot. 28: 593-608 (2003), Roalson & al., Taxon 54(2): 389-410 (2005a), Roalson & al., Selbyana 25(2): 225-238 (2005b), Roalson & al., Syst. Bot. 33(1): 159-175 (2008), mol. syst. & tax. Gloxinieae.

Tax. details, cytology, and bibliography: Gesneriaceae Resource Centre (GRC). Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

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