Crossandra
Crossandra nilotica
Crossandra is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae ( Acanthaceae ). It contains about 50 species. The botanical genus name is derived from the Greek words for krossoi fringes and Andros for man and refers to the fringed dust bag.
Description
Crossandra species usually grow as upright shrubs or perennial herbaceous plants. The plants are smooth or hairy. The opposite or arranged in whorls and stalked leaves are simple. The leaf margins are smooth or notched. Stipules absent.
End or laterally, often on a long peduncle are the aged men inflorescences in which the flowers together are tight. The most eye-catching, relatively large, overlapping bracts ( they are often referred to as bracts ) have a smooth edge; their arrangement gives the inflorescence in many species a four edgy look. The cover sheets have about the same length as the sepals.
The often large, showy flowers are hermaphrodite and zygomorphic fünfzählig. The five unequal sepals are fused only at their base. The uppermost calyx lobe is at its widest and has two nerves. The five petals are fused narrow - Roehrig. The curved corolla tube ends single lip. The only Kronlippe is clearly not equal to five lobes. The color of the petals ranging from white or yellow to orange to red. There is an annular disc provided. The four fertile stamens usually not protrude from the corolla tube. The stamens are shorter than the anthers. The fringed anthers have only a theca. Two carpels are a superior ovaries fused with two ovules per ovary chamber. The upward becomes thicker style ends in a weakly bilobed scar.
The zweifächerigen, more or less quadrangular capsule fruits contain four seeds that are thrown explosively. The seeds have fringed scales or hairs. The distribution unit ( diaspore ) is the seed.
Distribution and systematics
The Crossandra species are widespread in the Paläotropis: There are species in Africa, Madagascar ( about 25 species), in the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent.
The genus belongs to the tribe Crossandra Acantheae in the subfamily Acanthoideae.
Synonyms for Crossandra Salisb. are: Harrachia Jacq, Pleuroblepharis Baill, Polythrix Nees, Strobilacanthus Griseb ... .
Selected species
There are in the genus Crossandra about 50 to 52 valid species:
- Crossandra acutiloba Vollesen
- Crossandra albolineata Benoist
- Crossandra armandii Benoist
- Crossandra benoistii Vollesen
- Crossandra cinnabarina Vollesen
- Crossandra cloiselii S.Moore
- Crossandra douillotii Benoist
- Crossandra flava Hook.
- Crossandra flavicaulis Vollesen
- Crossandra fruticulosa Lindau
- Crossandra grandidieri ( Baill. ) Benoist
- Crossandra greenstockii S.Moore
- Crossandra horrida Vollesen
- Crossandra humbertii Benoist
- Crossandra infundibuliformis (L.) Nees
- Crossandra isaloensis Vollesen
- Crossandra longehirsuta Vollesen
- Crossandra longipes S.Moore
- Crossandra longispica Benoist
- Crossandra multidentata Vollesen
- Crossandra nilotica Oliv.
- Crossandra nobilis Benoist
- Crossandra pilosa ( Benoist ) Vollesen
- Crossandra poissonii Benoist
- Crossandra puberula Klotzsch
- Crossandra pungens Lindau
- Crossandra quad ride tata Benoist
- Crossandra raripila Benoist
- Crossandra rupestris Benoist
- Crossandra spinescens Dunkley
- Crossandra Stenandrium ( Nees ) Lindau
- Crossandra strobilifera ( Lam.) Benoist
- Crossandra tsingyensis Vollesen
- Crossandra vestita Benoist
- Crossandra zuluensis W.T.Vos & T.J.Edwards
Swell
- Lucinda A. McDade & Carrie Kiel: entry in the Tree of Life Project, 2006 (English ).
- Kamal Akhtar Malik Abdul Ghafoor &: Crossandra in the Flora of Pakistan: Online.
- Entry in GRIN ( Germplasm Resources Information Network) - Crossandra.