''Gerrardanthus'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of flowering plants native to tropical
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, first described by
William Henry Harvey (1811–1866), and named in honor of
William Tyrer Gerrard (died 1866 in
Mahavelona,
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
), botanical collector in
Natal and
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
in the 1860s.
''Gerrardanthus'' is a perennial climber, with height up to 5 m, rising from a swollen, tuberous base with a thickness of up to 1.5 m. Stems are herbaceous but becoming woody and grey-barked as they age.
Species
* ''
Gerrardanthus aethiopicus''
* ''
Gerrardanthus grandiflorus''
* ''
Gerrardanthus lobatus''
* ''
Gerrardanthus macrorhizus''
* ''
Gerrardanthus nigericus''
* ''
Gerrardanthus paniculatus''
* ''
Gerrardanthus parviflorus''
* ''
Gerrardanthus portentosus''
* ''
Gerrardanthus tomentosus''
* ''
Gerrardanthus trimenii''
* ''
Gerrardanthus zenkeri''
References
Aluka entryTaxonomicon entryZipcodeZoo entry* Takhtajan, A., ''Diversity and Classification of Flowering Plants'', Columbia University Press : New York, 1997.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5236322
Cucurbitaceae genera
Cucurbitaceae
Taxa named by Joseph Dalton Hooker