Research Training Program

Gasteranthus is a flowering plant genus of 35 species and two subspecies that is well known for its floral diversity. Gasteranthus is in the family Gesneriaceae. The genus has a limited distribution in Central and South America, with a center of diversity in western Ecuador. Many taxa are found in restricted cloud forest habitats, limited by strict requirements for humidity and shade. A number of new species have been recently identified and placed in the genus. This introduction of new taxa and the range of floral form seen in Gasteranthus add to the uncertainty of taxon relationships in the group. This study investigates interspecific relationships in the genus Gasteranthus using floral and vegetative morphological data. This analysis revealed two major lineages within Gasteranthus. The groups retrieved here indicate that the informally recognized subgroups based on floral form are not actually representative of unique groups in the genus. The tree topology indicates that funnelform and urceolate corolla forms evolved only once in the genus, while a ventricose form evolved several times independently.