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Common name:  None known.

Latin name and synonyms: Purdieanthus Gilg (1895)

Etymology: Purdieanthus was named after William Purdie (1817-1857) was a Scottish gardener that was the superintendent of the Botanical Garden in Trinidad and collected in South America.

Species:  One species only.

Distribution: High elevations on the Colombian-Venezuelan border.

Habitat:  Cloud forests and paramos, at 2500-4000 m altitude.

Characteristics:   Straggling vines, branches narrow branches. Leaves shortly petiolated, elliptic. Inflorescence terminal, cymose. Calyx small  with short, oblong lobes. Corolla long, tubular. Fruits dry capsules.

Evolution and related plants:  Purdieanthus is most likely closely related to Lagenanthus and Lehmanniella in tribe Helieae, but no phylogenetic data is available.

Economic uses:  None known.

Notes: Purdieanthus has sometimes been included in Lehmanniella.

Accepted species (synonyms in parenthesis) and their distribution:

References and publications: 

Ewan, J. 1948. A review of Purdieanthus and Lehmanniella, two endemic Colombian genera of Gentianaceae, and biographical notes on Purdie and Lehmann. Caldasia 5: 85-98.

Maas, P. J. M. 1985. Nomenclatural notes on neotropical Lisyantheae (Gentianaceae). Proc. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wetensch., Ser. C, 88: 405-412.

Struwe, L., J. W. Kadereit, J. Klackenberg, S. Nilsson, M. Thiv, K. B. von Hagen, & V. A. Albert. 2002. Systematics, character evolution, and biogeography of Gentianaceae, including a new tribal and subtribal classification. Pp. 21-309. In: L. Struwe & V. A. Albert (eds.), Gentianaceae: Systematics and Natural History, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

© Lena Struwe, 2004