GESNERIACE.E. III. GLOXINIA. 



619 



spec. Lin. Paliava, Velloz. in Vand. script, t. 7. f. 17. Sin- 

 ningia, Xees. 



LIN. SYST. Didynamia, Angiospermia. Calyx adnate to the 

 ovarium. to the middle : limb 5-parted, free. Corolla semisu- 

 perior, oblique, funnel-shaped, or campanulately subringent, gib- 

 bous behind at the base ; tube ventricose : limb spreading : 

 upper lip 2-lobed : lower one S-lobed. Stamens 4, didynamous, 

 with the rudiment of a fifth behind. Glands 5, perigynous. 

 Capsule 1 -celled, 2-valved ; placentas 2, parietal, 2-lobed. 

 Seeds numerous, oblong. Root a thick unequal tuber. Plants 

 sometimes stemless, therefore the flowers and leaves rise imme- 

 diately from the root ; sometimes with simple, terete, soft 

 stems. Leaves opposite, petiolate, thick, for the most part cre- 

 nated or serrated. Gemmation naked. Flowers large, axillary, 

 solitary, or many, aggregate, drooping, violaceous, greenish-yel- 

 low, or white, of one colour, or obscurely spotted, and striped 

 with other colours. Native of tropical America, on the east 

 coast, in wet shady places of woods, and on humid rocks, and 

 sometimes at the roots of trees. 



SECT. I. EUGLOXI'XIA. (This section is supposed to contain 

 the true species of the genus.) Calyx terete. Corollas viola- 

 ceous, bluish or white. 



1 G. GRA'CILIS (Mart. nov. gen. bras. 3. p. 6 t. t, 226.) cau- 

 lescent ; stems elongated, rather pilose, as well as the leaves ; 

 leaves oblong, attenuated at both ends, acute, serrated ; flowers 

 axillary, solitary or twin ; calyx terete, with long, acuminated 

 segments; corolla downy. If.. S. Native of the province of 

 Rio Janeiro, in humid places, upon stones at Mount Corcovado, 

 and near Tejuco. Tuber size of a small apple, nearly globose. 

 Leaves distant, 3-4 inches long, pale, and rather reddish be- 

 neath. Corolla an inch and a half long, blue or pale violet, very 

 like those of G. caulescent and G. speciosa. 



Slender Gloxinia. PI. 2 to 4 feet. 



2 G. CAULE'SCENS (Lindl. bot. reg. 1127.) caulescent; leaves 

 oval, crenated, obtuse, tomentose, with revolute edges ; pedun- 

 cles solitary, axillary, elongated ; corolla downy : segments 

 nearly equal : middle one cordate-ovate, all undulated ; calyx 

 oblique, with acuminated segments, exactly like that of G. spe- 

 cibta. 11. S. Native of Pernambuco. Corolla large, a little 

 arched, drooping, bluish purple. 



Caulescent Gloxinia. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1826. PI. to 

 1 foot. 



3 G. MACROPHY'LLA (Nees et Mart, in nov. act. bonn. 11. p. 

 66.) nearly stemless; leaves ovate, clothed with soft pubes- 

 cence, sessile, shorter than the flowers, crenated, obtuse ; flow- 

 ers crowded, nutant ; calyx large, 5-cleft, with triangular acu- 

 minated segments. 2. S. Native of Brazil, on the road to 

 Felisbert. Leaves 8 inches long, and 5j inches broad. Corolla 

 blue, like those of G. speciosa, but smaller. This species is 

 similar to G. speciosa, but differs in the flowers being in nearly 

 sessile glomerules ; and in the leaves being much larger, and in 

 the flowers being smaller. 



Long-leared Gloxinia. PI. i to f foot. 



4 G. SPECIOSA (Ker. bot. reg. 213.) stemless, hispid or hairy; 

 leaves oval, crenated ; peduncles from the axils of the leaves, 

 villous, longer than them ; calyx 5-cleft, with ovate, acumi- 

 nated segments. If. H. Native of Brazil. Sims, bot. mag. 

 19S7. Lodd. bot. cab. 28. Stem very short. Leaves 7 inches 

 long, when full grown. Corolla large, bluish purple ; with 

 rounded segments. 



I'ar. />, alba ; flowers white. 



Shorry Gloxinia. Fl. June, Nov. Clt. 1815. PI. i to \ 

 foot. 

 VOL. IT. 



5 G. MACCLA'TA (Lher. stirp. t. 149.) caulescent ; stems 

 simple, spotted ; radical leaves cordate, obtuse, doubly toothed, 

 shining above, and reddish beneath ; cauline leaves petiolate, 

 roundish-ovate, simply toothed ; peduncles axillary, 1-flowered, 

 solitary ; calyx glabrous, with oblong obtuse segments ; corolla 

 downy. Tf. . S. Native of America, about Cartbagena. Sims, 

 bot. mag. 1191. Martynia perennis, Lin. spec. 862. Mill, 

 diet. no. 2. Med. bot. beot, 1783. p. 238. Martynia foliis 

 serratis, Lin. hort. cliff, p. 322. t. 18. Ehret. pict. t. 9. f. 2. 

 Root scaly, like that of Dentaria. Corolla purplish-blue. 



5/wtterf-stemmed Gloxinia. Fl. July, Oct. Clt. 1739. PI. 

 1 foot. 



6 G. HIRSU'TA (Lindl. bot. reg. t. 1004. Hook. bot. mag. 

 2690.) stemless, very hairy ; leaves ovate-roundish, wrinkled, 

 hispid, rather cordate at the base ; scapes or peduncles aggre- 

 gate, 1-flowered ; calyx tubular below, with lanceolate seg- 

 ments ; corolla funnel-shaped : tube narrow : limb spreading, 

 with obtuse or retuse unequal lobes. ]/ . S. Native of Brazi!. 

 Leaves lying flat on the ground. Corolla pale blue, downy, 

 striped with darker veins ; the interior of the tube yellow, with 

 darker spots. 



Hairy Gloxinia. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 1824. PI. | foot. 



SECT. II. SISSI'KGIA (W. Sinning, gardener to the Univer- 

 sity of Bonne, on the Rhine.) Mart. nov. gen. bras. 3. p. 64. 

 Sinningia, Nees, in ann. scienc. nat. 6. p. 297. t. 12. The 

 whole of the calyx, or only the bottom of it, angular or winged. 

 Flowers white, yellowish green, or pale yellow. 



7 G. ScHOTTU (Mikan. del. bras. p. 4.) leaves glabrous, 

 cordate, ovate, serrated, ciliated ; calyx turbinate, twice as 

 long as the ovarium. 21. S. Native of Rio Janeiro. Sinuingia 

 Helleri, Nees, 1. c. Lindl. bot. reg. 997. Corolla pale yellow 

 or greenish vellow. 



SchotCs Gloxinia. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1820. PI. 1 foot. 



8 G. GUTTA'TA (Mart. 1. c.) leaves oblong-lanceolate, attenu- 

 ated at the base, pubescent, lucid, serrated ; corollas spotted ; 

 calyx cylindrically campanulate, 3 times as long as the ovarium. 

 ~H. S. Native of Brazil. Sinningia guttata, Lindl. bot. reg. 

 t. 1112. Corolla downy, pale, almost white, spotted inside with 

 livid purple. 



Shotted- flowered Gloxinia. Fl. July. Clt. 1826. Shrub 1| 

 foot. 



9 G. VELCTI'NA (Mart. 1. c.) leaves oblong, subcordate, vel- 

 vety ; calyx cylindrically campanulate, 3 times as long as the 

 ovarium. Ij. . S. Native of Brazil. Sinningia veluiina, Lindl. 

 bot. reg. under no. 1112. Corolla pale yellow. 



Velvety Gloxinia. Fl. July. Clt. 1826. PL 1| foot. 



10 G. VILLOSA (Mart. 1. c.) stem and leaves villous; calyxes 

 5-parted, length of ovarium ; flowers aggregate. 11 . S. Na- 

 tjye of Brazil. Sinningia villosa, Lindl. bot. reg. 1134. Larger 

 than other species of this section. Corolla pale yellowish 

 green. 



Jlllma Gloxinia. Fl. July. Clt. 1826. PI. 1| foot. 



1 1 G. DC'BIA ; calyx tubular, 5-angled, foliaceously winged, 

 with a 5-cleft mouth ; corolla with an inflated sub-bilabiate 

 limb ; rudiment of fifth filament inserted above the base of the 

 corolla ; hypogynous glands 5, alternating with the filaments ; 

 fruit capsular, rather fleshy, fj . S. Native of Mexico. Ges- 

 neriaceae, Genus nova, Nees, in Linnsea, 1. p. 305. 



Doubtful Gloxinia. Shrub. 



Cult. Gloxinia is a genus of splendid plants, and great 



favourites with gardeners. A light rich soil, or a mixture of 



sand, loam, and peat, suits them well. G. macula la is increased 



by dividing at the root ; and it should be kept free from suck- 



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