''Geogenanthus poeppigii'', commonly called the seersucker plant, is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

species in the family ''

Commelinaceae Commelinaceae is a family of flowering plants. In less formal contexts, the group is referred to as the dayflower family or spiderwort family. It is one of five families in the order Commelinales and by far the largest of these with about 731 kn ...

'' (the dayflower & spiderwort family). As currently circumscribed, the genus '' Geogenanthus'' includes two other species, ''G. ciliatus'' and ''G. rhizanthus''. This species is named after 19th century German naturalist

Eduard Friedrich Poeppig Eduard Friedrich Poeppig (16 July 1798 – 4 September 1868) was a German botanist, zoologist and explorer. Biography Poeppig was born in Plauen, Saxony. He studied medicine and natural history at the University of Leipzig, graduating with a med ...

. ''Geogenanthus undatus'' is an outdated synonym for ''G. poeppigii''.

Etymology

The specific epithet ''poeppigii'' is named after the man who first discovered this species, Eduard Friedrich Poeppig (1798-1868). This species got its common name, 'seersucker plant', because of its close resemblance to the puckering of

seersucker Seersucker, hickory stripe or railroad stripe is a thin, puckered, usually cotton fabric, commonly but not necessarily striped or chequered, used to make clothing for hot weather. The word originates from the Persian words and , literally me ...

fabric.

Systematics

''Geogenanthus poeppiggi'' belongs to the genus ''Geogenanthus'' of the flowering plant family ''Commelinaceae''. ''Commelinaceae'' is a well defined family of 41 genera and about 650 species. ''G. poeppiggi'' is placed under the subtribe ''Dichorisandrinae'', within the tribe ''Tradescantieae''. ''Tradescantieae'' consists 7 subtribes and the subtribe ''Dichorisandrinae'' consists of 5 new world genera and around 51 species. The 5 genera is divided into two monophyletic groups. ''Dichorisandra'', ''Siderasis'' and ''Geogenanthus'' are one monophyletic group and the second group contains ''Cochliostema'' and ''Plowmanianthus''. ''Dichorisandrinae'' subtribe displays a range of morphological and ecological variation within it. All members of the subtribe share a similar karyotype of 19 large chromosomes. The genus ''Geogenanthus'' is distinguished by a particular 6-celled stomatal complex and basal axillary inflorescences. An analysis of DNA sequences indicate ''Geogenanthus'' is closely related to the genus ''Plowmanianthus'' followed by ''Cochliostema''. Roots of ''Geogenanthus'' are tuberous and they penetrate the soil, which makes the genus different from its close relatives. Analysis of morphological characters in ''Commelinaceae'' indicate ''Geogenanthus'' is closely related to ''Dichoriscantieae'' and ''Siderasis'', but ''Geogenanthus'' is placed as the sister to ''Dichoriscantieae'' and ''Siderasis'' in the cladogram from the combined morphology and sequence analysis, with high bootstrap value supporting the placement. Based on the estimates of origin and diversification of the order ''Commelinales'', which might have been sometime during the mid to late cretaceous period i.e. between 123 and 66 million years ago, it can be very roughly estimated that the genus ''Geogenanthus'' could have originated 66 million years ago.

Distribution

Native to Amazonia. It has been documented in the lowlands of

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

and western

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, and is typically found on the floor of primary

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

Morphology

The bottom of the leaf is purple and the top of its leaves are green with darker green stripes. The surface as a whole has a "puckered" appearance; hence the common name seersucker plant. This plant is particularly unique because its cymes rise from the lower nodes, which often looks like they're growing out of the ground. The three upper stamens are hairy and the three lower ones longer and smooth. Nodes and internodes are prominent on the stem. The stem of the plant is covered in minute brown hairs and, underground, plants possess a short, branching rhizome.

Uses

This species is adaptable to a low light environments which has made it preferable for a house plant. It also likes humidity and, in a pot, it should not be allowed to dry out for too long.

Horticulture

Bright, indirect sunlight is best. As with many related species, these plants do not flower or set seed freely, so stem cuttings are usually used to propagate this species.Plant Encyclopedia

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q5535025 Commelinaceae