Ekmanianthe
Ekmanianthe is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae. It is most closely related to "Tabebuia" and has sometimes been included within it. It consists of two species of trees, neither of which is especially common in any part of its range: The wood of "Ekmanianthe" has been variously described as "soft" or as "very hard, heavy, and strong". Despite this, like many other Tecomeae species, it is rarely cultivated. Description. The following description is based on two sources. "Ekmanianthe actinophylla" is cheiropterophilous (bat-pollinated). "E. longiflora" has the long, narrow corolla tube that is typical of  hawkmoth-pollinated flowers. The basally curved fruit of "Ekmanianthe" is a distinguishing feature, clearly separating that genus from "Tabebuia". The edge of the corolla is laciniate in a few moth-pollinated and a few bat-pollinated species of "Tabebuia", but much less so than in "Ekmanianthe". The lenticels of "E. longiflora" and the costae (ribs) on the fruit of "E. actinophylla" are more prominent than those of any species of "Tabebuia". The corolla tube of "E. longiflora" is longer than that of any species of "Tabebuia". "E. actinophylla" has 5 fertile stamens, a trait not seen in "Tabebuia". Evolution. The  evolution of "Ekmanianthe" is in some ways parallel to that of the Asian tribe Oroxyleae. The bat-pollinated "Oroxylum" has actinomorphic flowers with five fertile stamens. The hawkmoth-pollinated "Nyctocalos" has elongate flowers and most of the species have only four fertile stamens. History. Both species of "Ekmanianthe" were originally described in 1866 by August Grisebach, who placed them in the genus "Tecoma". In 1915, Nathaniel Lord Britton placed them in "Tabebuia". In 1924, Ignatz Urban, recognizing their distinctiveness, erected the new genus "Ekmanianthe" in the journal now known as "Feddes Repertorium", which was at that time edited by Friedrich  Karl Georg Fedde. "Ekmanianthe was named for the Swedish botanist Erik Leonard Ekman (1883-1931)."Anthe" is derived from a Greek word for "flower".