Graderia


Graderia is a genus of plants in the family Orobanchaceae, which is native to Africa and Socotra. It belongs to the tribe Buchnereae. It is a hemiparasitic taxon.

Etymology

Graderia is a taxonomic anagram derived from the name of the confamilial genus Gerardia. The latter name is a taxonomic patronym honoring the English botanist John Gerard.

Description

Sometimes a suffrutex with stems growing from a woody rhizome. Leaves may be opposite or alternate. The solitary flowers appear in the axils, and have a five-lobed calyx and corolla. The flower is tubular with four stamens, in pairs of unequal length. Each stamen has two divergent, oblong and curved thecae. The two-locular ovary has numerous ovules, and produces numerous seeds in a fruit capsule.

Systematics

The genus includes some 4 species.Graderia fruticosa Isaac [Bayley Balfour|Balf.f.] is endemic to Socotra.Graderia linearifolia CoddGraderia scabra Benth.Graderia subintegra Mast.