Gesneria is a genus of approximately 50 species in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. Except for two or three odd South American species, all are native to islands of the Caribbean. The genus is classified in the tribe Gesnerieae along with the genera Bellonia, Pheidonocarpa, and Rhytidophyllum. Gesneria species are usually woody shrubs or subshrubs, and (with the closely related Rhytidophyllum) are unusual in the family in having alternately (rather than decussately) arranged leaves. A complete list of the accepted species and their synonyms can be found in the Smithsonian Institution's World Checklist of Gesneriaceae. The genus name honors Conrad Gessner. Selected species Gesneria acaulis Gesneria calycina Gesneria calycosa Gesneria christii Gesneria citrina Gesneria cuneifolia Gesneria depressa Gesneria exserta Gesneria humilis Gesneria pauciflora Gesneria pedicellaris Gesneria pedunculosa Gesneria reticulata Gesneria ventricosa External links Skog, L.E. 1976. A Study of the Tribe Gesnerieae, with a Revision of Gesneria (Gesneriaceae: Gesnerioideae). Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. 29: 1-182 (pdf file). Gesneria from The Genera of Gesneriaceae Gesneria from The Gesneriad Reference Web World Checklist of Gesneriaceae Gesneriaceae genera