The African continent (incl. Madagascar and the Comoro Islands) is relatively poor in Gesneriaceae. Moreover, African Gesneriaceae
are also poor in typical tropical pollination syndromes such as ornitho- or chiropterophily (bird or bat pollination). The
latter is completely absent and there are only two species that clearly exhibit a bird pollination syndrome: Streptocarpus dunnii
and S. myoporoides. These species are presented and discussed here in context with a new concept of Streptocarpus. Concluding
from differences in vegetative, inflorescence and floral morphology (molecular, chromosomal etc. data are not yet available for S.
myoporoides), the two species are apparently not closely related and it appears that ornithophily has evolved twice in the African
Gesneriaceae.
The original article is in German, but an English translation is appended courtesy of Google Translate.