Chrysothemis

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Chrysothemis

Description

Terrestrial or rarely epiphytic, caulescent, erect or sometimes decumbent herbs, tuberous. Stems unbranched. Leaves opposite, equal or subequal in a pair, venation pinnate, foliar nectaries absent. Flowers axillary (but appearing terminal by exceeding stem apex), 1-9-flowered cymose or umbellate, pedunculate inflorescences, with small leafy bracteoles; pedicellate. Calyx lobes 5, basally connate into a tube; corolla yellow to orange, with orange or reddish lines or spots, cylindric, lobes 5; stamens included, filaments basally connate, anthers sometimes coherent, dehiscing by longitudinal slits, thecae parallel; staminode absent; disc a single dorsal, 2-lobed gland; ovary superior, stigma 2-lobed. Fruit a fleshy, brown capsule, loculicidally dehiscent, 2- to several-valved, valves opening slightly.

Distribution

C and northern S America present, Guianas present, Southern America
A genus of 6 species in the West Indies, C and northern S America growing at low elevations; 2 species in the Guianas.

Cytology

Chromosome number n=9 (Skog 1984).