Cyrtandra cephalophora Gillespie
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Authority
Gillett, George W. 1967. The genus Cyrtandra in Fiji. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 37: 107-159.
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Family
Gesneriaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type locality: Namosi, Viti Levu, Fiji; typo collected by Gillespie, cited below.
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Description
Description - Erect shrub 2-3 m. high, the young foliage glabrate, the stems up to 1.5 cm. in diameter, quadrangular, the pith up to 1 cm. in diameter; leaves opposite, the petioles 6-9 cm. long, the blades lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate to ovate, up to 24 cm. long and 12 cm. broad, equilateral and cuneate at base, acute to rounded at apex, entire to faintly serrate, at maturity glabrous above, glabrate beneath with scattered, noncapitate hairs ca. 25µ in diameter and 0.3 mm. long, the lower surface with 5-7 strongly ascending, raised primary veins on each side; inflorescences capitate-cylindrical, on stout peduncles 1-1.5 cm. long, the flowers partially concealed by conspicuous, persistent, ovate to orbicular subtending bracts 5-10 mm. long, the bracts with rigid, glistening, dark brown, noncapitate hairs ca. 30µ in diameter and 0.5-1 mm. long without, with similar but much larger hairs 1-3 mm. long within; calyx persistent, ca. 10 mm. long, cleft into equal, lanceolateattenuate lobes ca. 4 mm. long, glabrate without with small, noncapitate hairs, pilose within with similar, ascending hairs to 3 mm. long; corolla white, 12 mm. long, cleft 0.33 of its length into rounded, unequal lobes, glabrous on both surfaces; filaments 2-3 mm. long, bearing apically coherent anthers 1-2 mm. below the corolla limb; staminodes 2, clavate, ca. 1.5 mm. long, adnate ca. 1 mm. below the limb; cupulate annular disc prominent, ca. 1 mm. high, persistent; ovary and style ca. 8 mm. long, glabrous, the style curved toward the corolla throat and bearing an applanate, bilobed stigma, the lobes thick, ovate; fruit orange, ovoid, ca. 7 mm. long, terminated by the persistent style base.
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Discussion
The present species is one of the most easily recognized of Fijian Cyrtandrae by its conspicuously bracteate, capitate-cylindrical inflorescence and the peculiar indument of the inflorescence. The clavate, conspicuous staminodia borne near the summit of the corolla tube are not known to occur in other Fijian species.