Cyrtandra chlorantha A.C.Sm.
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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: Naitasiri, Viti Levu, Fiji. Type collected by A. C. Smith, cited below.
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Description
Description - Shrub 3-4 m. high with pubescence of brown, septate, uniseriate capitate and noncapitate hairs up to 120µ in diameter and up to 4 mm. long; leaves opposite, the petioles 3-5 cm. long, the blades lanceolate to elliptic, up to 17 cm. long and 6 cm. broad, inequilateral and acute to cuneate at base, acute to acuminate at apex, coarsely serrate, tomentose to glabrate on both sides; inflorescences many-flowered, congested, the penduncles up to ca. 0.5 cm. long, terminated by persistent, green, ovate-elliptic bracts ca. 1.5 cm. long, these with a dense pubescence of long, capitate hairs without, glabrous to glabrate within, subtending short, branching bracteolate cymes, the bracteoles similar to the bracts but smaller; calyx green, broad-cylindrical, persistent, ca. 1.5 cm. long, cleft ca. 0.25 of its length into unequal triangular lobes, with dense, capitate hairs without, glabrous to glabrate with few capitate hairs within; corolla green, narrowly cylindric, ca. 1.5-2.2 cm. long, slightly exserted beyond the calyx, cleft ca. 0.2 of its length into rounded lobes, with capitate hairs without, glabrous within; filaments adnate near the middle of the corolla tube, ca. 3 mm. long, bearing apically coherent anthers 1-2 mm. below the corolla limb; staminodes 3, ca. 1 mm. long, adnate opposite the upper sinuses at same level as filaments, the median staminode ca. 1 mm. above the laterals; cupulate annular disc prominent, ca. 1.5 mm. high; ovary and style ca. 1 cm. long, the ovary glabrous, the style with capitate hairs over its entire length, the stigma applanate, bilobed, the lobes perpendicular to the axis of the style, borne below the anthers.
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Discussion
This species and the related Crytandra milnei and C. leucantha can be separated from each other by the following characters: C. chlorantha C. milnei C. leucantha Color of calyx and corolla: green greenish-white to white white Inner corolla surface: glabrous pubescent glabrous Number of staminodes: 3 3 2 Length of petiole hairs: 3-4 mm. 3-6 1-2 mm.