''Nematanthus'' is a genus of

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 ...

s 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 the Old World (almost all Didymocarpoideae) and the New World (most Gesnerioideae), with ...

. All of its

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

that are small,

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing, branching, and spreading habit; it is generally an

epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

in nature and a hanging-basket plant in cultivation. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

has fused

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s. In some species, the flower has a "pouch" at the bottom. The fancied resemblance of such flowers to a

goldfish The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have ...

gives these plants the common name goldfish plant or guppy plant. Hummingbirds will often feed from the nectar-filled "goldfish" flowers.

Description

''Nematanthus'' species are

perennials A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

or subshrubs, typically growing

epiphytically An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

, less often in

humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...

-filled pockets on rocks. Their leaves are often reddish underneath. Their flowers have fused

s and vary quite widely in shape. Some have flowers with a "pouch" on the lower surface of the flower and a small opening (particularly those commonly cultivated). Others have flowers that are twisted through 180° when fully open (

resupinate Resupination is derived from the Latin word ''resupinus'', meaning "bent back with the face upward" or "on the back". "Resupination" is the noun form of the adjective "resupine" which means "being upside-down, supine or facing upward". The word " ...

), so that if pouched, the pouch is at the top. Resupinate flowers may be brightly coloured, funnel-shaped and compressed from side to side, or white and bell-shaped. Some species have flowers that are borne on long

pedicels In botany, a pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the inflorescence. Such inflorescences are described as ''pedicellate''. Description Pedicel refers to a structure connecting a single flower to its inflorescence. In the absenc ...

and hang down below the plant, others have short pedicels so that the flowers are close to the stem.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Nematanthus'' was first described by

Heinrich Adolph Schrader Heinrich Adolf Schrader (1 January 1767 in Alfeld near Hildesheim – 22 October 1836 in Göttingen) was a German botanist and mycologist. He studied medicine early in life. He named the Australian plant genus ''Hakea'' in 1797. In 1795 he re ...

in 1821, with the only species (and so the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

) being ''

Nematanthus corticola ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'', one of the species with flowers hanging down on long pedicels. The name ''Nematanthus'' is from

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

''nema'' meaning 'thread' and ''anthos'' meaning 'flower', referring to the long pedicels of the type species. ''Nematanthus'' is placed in the subfamily

Gesnerioideae The Gesnerioideae are a subfamily of plants in the family Gesneriaceae: based on the type genus ''Gesneria''. Although genera typically originate in the New World, some species have become widely distributed as ornamental plants. Description Ges ...

, tribe Gesnerieae, subtribe Columneinae. Within the subtribe, it forms a clade with ''

Codonanthe ''Codonanthe'' is a genus of mainly epiphytic plants in the family Gesneriaceae, endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The botanical name comes from the Ancient Greek for 'bellflower'. They have white or pale pink flowers and somewhat flesh ...

'', ''

Codonanthopsis ''Codonanthopsis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. Its native range is from southern Mexico through tropical America to Bolivia and most of Brazil. ''Codonanthopsis'' species are generally trailing epiphytes with pal ...

'' and '' Lesia'':

Species

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

accepted the following species: *''

Nematanthus albus ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a traili ...

'' Chautems *''

Nematanthus australis ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a traili ...

'' Chautems *''

Nematanthus bradei ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a traili ...

'' (Handro) Chautems *''

Nematanthus brasiliensis ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a traili ...

'' (Vell.) Chautems *''

'' Schrad. *''

Nematanthus crassifolius ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a traili ...

'' (Schott) Wiehler *''

Nematanthus exsertus ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a traili ...

'' Chautems *''

Nematanthus fissus ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' (Vell.) L.E.Skog *''

Nematanthus fluminensis ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' (Vell.) Fritsch *''

Nematanthus fornix ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' (Vell.) Chautems *''

Nematanthus fritschii ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' Hoehne *'' Nematanthus gregarius'' D.L.Denham *'' Nematanthus hirtellus'' (Schott) Wiehler *''

Nematanthus jolyanus ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' (Handro) Chautems *'' Nematanthus kautskyi'' Chautems & Rossini *''

Nematanthus kuhlmannii ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' (Handro) Chautems *''

Nematanthus lanceolatus ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaf, leaves that are small, Succulent plant, succulent, and hard-surfaced. T ...

'' (Poir.) Chautems *''

Nematanthus maculatus ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' (Fritsch) Wiehler *''

Nematanthus mattosianus ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' (Handro) H.E.Moore *'' Nematanthus mirabilis'' (Handro) Chautems *''

Nematanthus monanthos ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' (Vell.) Chautems *'' Nematanthus punctatus'' Chautems *''

Nematanthus pycnophyllus ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' Chautems, T.Lopes & M.Peixoto *'' Nematanthus sericeus'' (Hanst.) Chautems *''

Nematanthus serpens ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' (Vell.) Chautems *'' Nematanthus striatus'' (Handro) Chautems *'' Nematanthus strigillosus'' (Mart.) H.E.Moore *''

Nematanthus teixeiranus ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' (Handro) Chautems *''

Nematanthus tessmannii ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' (Hoehne) Chautems *''

Nematanthus villosus ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaf, leaves that are small, Succulent plant, succulent, and hard-surfaced. T ...

'' (Hanst.) Wiehler *'' Nematanthus wettsteinii'' (Fritsch) H.E.Moore *''

Nematanthus wiehleri ''Nematanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. Compared to other gesneriads, ''Nematanthus'' has leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced. The plant has a trailing ...

'' Chautems & M.Peixoto File:Nematanthus crassifolius 01.jpg, ''N. crassifolius'' File:Nematanthus fissus.jpg, ''N. fissus'' File:Nematanthus fritschii kz01.jpg, ''N. fritschii'' File:Nematanthus gregarius - Kew Gardens 2.JPG, ''N. gregarius'' File:Hypocyrta strigillosa0.jpg, ''N. strigillosus'' File:Nematanthuswettsteinii1.jpg, ''N. wettsteinii''

Cultivation

''Nematanthus'' thrive between , although they stay more compact if grown at . They may lose their leaves if temperatures go above this level. ''Nematanthus gregarius'' is said to tolerate temperatures down to . ''Nematanthus'' do best in bright indirect light, and can easily burn in direct sunlight. They prefer high humidity, and grow better under these conditions, but adapt to household humidity. The tuberous roots of this plant retain water, and ''Nematanthus'' prefer the soil to remain moist, and well-drained. The goldfish plant enjoys being pot-bound, and is more likely to bloom in that state. When grown in the right conditions, ''Nematanthus'' is known to bloom year-round. To encourage new blooms, regular pruning of the plant is recommended. Plants can be propagated from cuttings.

Cultivars

'Tropicana' originated from a cross made in the United States by W. R. Saylor. The parents were reported to be ''N. perianthomegus'' and ''N. gregarius''. , ''N. perianthomegus'' was treated as a synonym of ''N. hirtellus'' by Plants of the World Online, although other sources say that it is a synonym of ''N. tessmannii''. 'Tropicana' is initially upright, after which older branches trail. The leaves are , glossy dark green with a reddish brown margin on the under surface. The flower has a red-brown calyx, the fused

s (perianth) being yellow with red-brown stripes and spots. 'Tropicana' produces flower buds all year round. 'Rio' also originated from a cross by Saylor, in this case between ''N. gregarius'' and ''N. fissus'' (syn. ''Hypocyrta selloana''). Its leaves are slightly larger than those of 'Tropicana', , lighter green on both sides and less glossy. The flower is smaller, with a light green calyx and a striking orange-red perianth. 'Rio' makes buds all year round. 'Herens' is of unknown origin. It resembles 'Tropicana', with a somewhat smaller leaf, , with a reddish tinge on the underside. The calyx is red-green and the perianth orange-red. It can flower abundantly all year round. 'Gietvoz' is also of unknown origin. It is a compact cultivar, less sensitive to unfavorable growing conditions such as overwatering or bright light. The leaf is smaller, , and less tapered than that of other cultivars, and is thick, waxy and glossy. The underside of the leaf is red with a green edge and is clearly visible as the leaves are somewhat upright. The flower has an inconspicuous light green calyx and an orange-yellow perianth. Although 'Gietvoz' does not flower as readily as other cultivars, it has a good growth habit and attractive foliage. Saylor also made crosses between ''

Codonanthe gracilis ''Codonanthe'' is a genus of mainly epiphytic plants in the family Gesneriaceae, endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The botanical name comes from the Ancient Greek for 'bellflower'. They have white or pale pink flowers and somewhat flesh ...

'' and ''Nematanthus'' hybrids, creating the hybrid genus × ''Codonatanthus''. Two of the resulting cultivars are 'Fiesta' and 'Aurora'. ''Nematanthus gregarius'' 'Dibley's Gold' has variegated leaves.

Toxicity

''Nematanthus'' is considered non-toxic and safe for pets by the ASPCA.

References

External links

Nematanthus, Codonanthe and Related Intergenerics, from the Gesneriad Reference Web
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2616377 Gesnerioideae Epiphytes Gesneriaceae genera