From my Gesneriads Journal study and ready my report very interesting ~
What is a Gesneraid ?
Gerneriads are , first and formost , flowering plants. But gesneriads are memebers of a much larger groups of flowering whose plants and petals are fused into a tube . There are approximately 3,300 known species of gesneriads worldwide, found in all continents except Antarctia.
Examples of Gesneriads such plants are memebers of the families Solanacea ( tomato Family) and Convolvulacea ( Morning -Glory Family). The closet relatives of Geseriaceae within the group are the families of the group known Lamiales, among which Calceolariaceae. Bignoniacea , Acathaceae, Scrophlariaceae ( snapdragon and foxglove family) , Lamiaceae ( mint family), Verbenacea, Martymiacea, Pedaliacea ( sesame family) , and Lentibulariacea ( bladderworts & butterworts) . Most members of the Lamiales share with gesneriads the characteristic of zygomophic flowers ( exhibiting mirror-image symmetry) , but differ in various other ways. Most of these families are characterized by particlar specializations that gesneriads lack, and gesneriads have several specialzation of their own. Gesneriacea is now thought to be one of the oldest familes within this group.
What is a Gesneriads ?
There are 3,300 different known gesneriads worldwide different kinds, and divisions, classifications..
Genseriads are tropical to subtropical ( rarely temperate or alpine) , herbs, lianas ( vines) , shrubs, and rarely small trees. They can be terrestrial, epiphytic ( growing on trees) , or epipetric ( growing on rocks). Their leaves are often hairy and usually opposite, but in some species are alternate arranged spirally in a tight rosette. The flowers are usually zygomorphic and are found in an enormous range of colors and patterns but they are nearly always showy. The seeds are always tiny and numewrous !
More about Gessie later by me ! I need to pack zillions of plants :))
Please add any and all you know about Gerneriads..
You do know African violets ~ Saintpaulis are a fibrous rooted Gesneriad ! I fount over 35 Fibrous rooted Gesneriads ! Can you give names of any of them others !
Can you name another fibrous rooted Gesneriad !
OK I'll help you out some other fibrous rooted Gesneriad are !
Alsobia
Chirita
Nematanthus
Streptocarpus
Saintpaulia
Petrocosmea
Aeschynanthus
Gesneriads with Firbrous Roots only are lacking either in tubers or rhizomes , by far the greatest number of gesneriads are progated by seed, or cutting. They may be annuals, or herbaceous or woddy perennials. Most familiar is the African violet ( Saintpaulia), usually grown by leaf cuttings. All can be raised from seed, and their culture is similar to other gesneriads. Growth habit varies from rosette, such as come Chiritas and Saintpaulias, to vining ( or Shubby) Columneas, Aeschynanthus, or Episcias, and to woddy plants like Cyrtandras !
Thanks for sharing all of this information with us Allison. When I first got started I did not know anything about the other Gesneriads. Now I have 2 streptocarpus and 1 chirita. I can't wait to get more.
Jesse
Some other fibrous rooted Gesneriad are !
Alloplectus
Chiritopsis
Cobananthus
Codonanthe
Columnea
Corytoplectus
Cremosperma
Dalbergaria
Drymonia
Gasteranthus
Gesneria
Neomortonia
Paradrymonia
Sarmienta
Trichantha
And there are more :))
I find all this very interesting ! Hope you do also.
You can also find pictures of just about all of these on the Gesneriads Referecne Web ~ The link is in second Sticky.
Thanks Jesse . People forget sometimes African violets ~Saintpaulia is the number one Gesneriads !
Horticultural Classification of Gesneriads ~ All Gesneriads have fibrous roots but several groups ( almost entirely in the New World) have modified stems, above ground or underground, that act as storage organs. New World Gesneriads are gesneriads which are natcie to the Americas. Botanists also refer to the " Old World" gesneraids , which are found in Europe, Asia , Africa, and Oceania. This has led to horticultural classification of gesneriads into " tuberous" , " scaly Rhizomatous" , and " fibrous-rooted" , this last category really meaning those that lack storage organs. Since most gesneriads are considered tropical plants, horticulturist also distinguish " Alpine" or " hardy " gesneriads from the rest of the family, regardless of underground storage structure.
Some other family Characteristic can be terresytail , epiphytic ( growing on trees) , or epipetric ( growing on rocks good for rock gardens !). Their fun, their leaves are hairy and usually opposite, but some species are alternate or arranged spirally in a tight rosette.
Their flowers come in so many showy colors !
I'm told that perhaps soon they will bunch all gesneriads up with all Scrophulariaceae plants which would greatly increase the 'gessies' to choose from.
Lot's of DNA study going on now and they can determine if it's gesneriad or scrophularia family based on that, where before it was up to visual determination.
Very interesting ~ I will be adding more..
Please everyone add also ...