Schizanthus

Schizanthus grahamii, Illustration

The gap Flowers ( Schizanthus ) or butterfly flowers forming the only genus in the subfamily Schizanthoideae within the nightshade family (Solanaceae ). They differ mainly due to the strongly zygomorphic flowers differ greatly from other representatives of the family. The genus is endemic to Chile. Other synonyms are Bauernorchidee ( a marketing name) or Orchid of the little man.

• 4.1 Outer systematics
• 4.2 Internal systematics

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Gap Flowers are an annual or biennial herbaceous plant, with partially woody base, the plant height (25 to ) 75 (up to 100 ) cm. The surface of the entire plant is glandular trichomes by most sticky. The heavily feathered leaves are 3-9 (14 ) cm long. The individual pinnate leaf parts removed standing, entire, slightly jagged, lobed, pinnatifid or sinuate.

Flowers

The zygomorphe flower is fünfzählig. The pedicels are 3-25 mm long, further growing, sometimes bent back. In its heyday, the flowers are rotated by about 72 degrees. The cup is ( 2) 5-8 (13 ) mm long, the segments slightly different, linear or spatulate, narrow, blunt. In contrast to most other solanaceous plants, the sepals are hardly grown together. The crown (7) is 14-44 mm in length, the top tube 8 to 28 mm, sometimes only 1.5 to 4 mm. The five petals are strongly shaped differently: a forward standing, two side and two back standing, the latter are united into a boat. The flowers are usually single color or very different multicolored, white only in exceptional cases. The fertile anthers are 1.8 to 3.2 mm long and sit at 3.3 to 4.8 mm long stamens. The sterile anthers are only 0.5 to 1 mm long and sit either on long stamens or almost sessile.

Fruit and seeds

The fruits are ovoid -prismatic seed capsules with blunt or rounded tips. They are 4-10 mm long and contain usually 12 to 34 ( rarely 9-40 ) seeds. Seeds measure 0.4 to 1 mm in diameter, are usually oval or kidney-shaped and from 1 to 2.1 mm long and often also nearly spherical.

Ingredients

Be split flowers differ not only by the morphology, also through its alkaloids from most other solanaceous plants. In studies of 15 atypical for the family tropane alkaloids have been found. Some of them contain typical structural properties of esters, which have been found in any other tropane alkaloids of the Solanaceae.

Occurrence

The genus is native to Chile, is to be found in the area between Antofagasta in the north to Lake Llanquihue in the south, two species are found also in the border area on the Argentinian side. Three species and some hybrids are cultivated as ornamentals.

Ecology

Most species are pollinated by bees, only three species of moths.

System

Outer systematics

Within the nightshade family (Solanaceae ) the gap flowers occupy a basal position, phylogenetic analyzes place the genus as Schwesterklade to the entire rest of the family. Many features, such as the strong Zygomorphie of flowers, only two fertile anthers and the rotation of the flowers can be found neither in other solanaceous plants still within the sister family of wind plants ( Convolvulaceae ); Therefore, these features are interpreted as autapomorphies ( derived characteristics ).

Inside systematics

Within the genus twelve types can be distinguished:

• Schizanthus alpestris Poepp. ex Benth.
• Schizanthus candidus Lindl.
• Deadened gap flower ( Schizanthus grahamii Gill. Ex Hooker )
• Schizanthus hookerii Gillies ex Graham
• Schizanthus lacteus Phil
• Schizanthus laetus Phil
• Schizanthus litoralis Phil
• Schizanthus integrifolius Phil
• Schizanthus parvulus Sudzuki
• Feathered gap flower ( Ruiz & Pav Schizanthus pinnatus )
• Schizanthus porrigens Graham
• Schizanthus tricolor gray & Gronb.

In addition, some hybrids are known ( selection):

• Schizanthus hybridus
• Hybrid gap flower ( Schizanthus × wisetonensis H. Low; Syn: S. grahamii x p pinnatus )