''Gesneria'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of approximately 50 species in the

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

family

Gesneriaceae Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, is a family of flowering plants consisting of about 152 genera and ca. 3,540 species in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World (almost all Didymocarpoideae) and the New World (most Gesnerioideae), with ...

. Except for two or three odd

South American South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

species, all are native to islands of the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. The genus is classified in the tribe Gesnerieae along with the genera '' Bellonia'', ''

Pheidonocarpa ''Pheidonocarpa'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Gesneriaceae Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, is a family of flowering plants consisting of about 152 genera and ca. 3,540 species in the tropics and subtropics of ...

'', and ''

Rhytidophyllum ''Rhytidophyllum'' is a genus of plant in family Gesneriaceae, native to the Caribbean islands and northern South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a r ...

''. ''Gesneria'' species are usually woody

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s or

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Der ...

s, and (with the closely related ''

'') are unusual in the family in having alternately (rather than decussately) arranged leaves. A complete list of the accepted species and their synonyms can be found in the Smithsonian Institution's World Checklist of Gesneriaceae. The genus name honors

Conrad Gessner Conrad Gessner (; la, Conradus Gesnerus 26 March 1516 – 13 December 1565) was a Swiss physician, naturalist, bibliographer, and philologist. Born into a poor family in Zürich, Switzerland, his father and teachers quickly realised his tale ...

Selected species

*'' Gesneria acaulis'' *''

Gesneria calycina ''Gesneria calycina'' is a species of plant in the family Gesneriaceae. It is endemic to Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles a ...

'' *'' Gesneria calycosa'' *''

Gesneria christii ''Gesneria'' is a genus of approximately 50 species in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. Except for two or three odd South American species, all are native to islands of the Caribbean. The genus is classified in the tribe Gesnerieae alo ...

'' *''

Gesneria citrina ''Gesneria'' is a genus of approximately 50 species in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. Except for two or three odd South American species, all are native to islands of the Caribbean. The genus is classified in the tribe Gesnerieae alo ...

'' *''

Gesneria cuneifolia ''Gesneria cuneifolia'' (yerba parrera) is a plant species in the family Gesneriaceae Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, is a family of flowering plants consisting of about 152 genera and ca. 3,540 species in the tropics and subtropics of ...

'' *''

Gesneria depressa ''Gesneria'' is a genus of approximately 50 species in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. Except for two or three odd South American species, all are native to islands of the Caribbean. The genus is classified in the tribe Gesnerieae alo ...

'' *''

Gesneria exserta ''Gesneria exserta'' is a species of plant in the family Gesneriaceae. It is endemic to Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles an ...

'' *''

Gesneria humilis ''Gesneria'' is a genus of approximately 50 species in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. Except for two or three odd South American species, all are native to islands of the Caribbean. The genus is classified in the tribe Gesnerieae alo ...

'' *''

Gesneria pauciflora ''Gesneria pauciflora'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Gesneriaceae known by the common name ''yerba maricao de cueva''. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where there are only three populations remaining.USFWSRecovery Plan for ''G ...

'' *''

Gesneria pedicellaris ''Gesneria'' is a genus of approximately 50 species in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. Except for two or three odd South American species, all are native to islands of the Caribbean. The genus is classified in the tribe Gesnerieae alo ...

'' *''

Gesneria pedunculosa ''Gesneria'' is a genus of approximately 50 species in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. Except for two or three odd South American species, all are native to islands of the Caribbean. The genus is classified in the tribe Gesnerieae alo ...

'' *''

Gesneria reticulata ''Gesneria'' is a genus of approximately 50 species in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. Except for two or three odd South American species, all are native to islands of the Caribbean. The genus is classified in the tribe Gesnerieae alo ...

'' *''

Gesneria ventricosa ''Gesneria'' is a genus of approximately 50 species in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. Except for two or three odd South American species, all are native to islands of the Caribbean. The genus is classified in the tribe Gesnerieae alo ...

External links

Skog, L.E. 1976. A Study of the Tribe Gesnerieae, with a Revision of ''Gesneria'' (Gesneriaceae: Gesnerioideae). ''Smithsonian Contributions to Botany''. 29: 1-182 (pdf file).
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The Genera of Gesneriaceae
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The Gesneriad Reference WebWorld Checklist of Gesneriaceae
Gesneriaceae genera {{Gesneriaceae-stub