Gesneria, gesneria (Gesneria) – a genus of perennial herbs and shrubs of the Gesneriaceae family, inhabitants of the tropics of South America. Greenhouse and indoor plants .
- Family: Gesneriaceae.
- Origin: South America, Antilles.
- Rhizome: tuberous.
- Stem: erect, shortened.
- Leaves: oblong, opposite or alternate.
- Fruit: box.
- Reproductive ability: propagated by cuttings, tuber division.
- Illumination: does not tolerate the open sun.
- Watering: plentiful in summer, limited in winter.
- Content temperature: in summer 20-24 °С, in winter 14-16 °С.
- Flowering time: July to October.
flower description
Herbaceous plants with tuberous rhizomes, rarely subshrubs, with oval, oblong-oval alternate or opposite leaves. Gesneria flowers are large, white, blue, red or pink, appear in the axils of the upper leaves singly or in a bunch. Corolla tubular, elongated, sometimes slightly curved, five-lobed, with 2-4 stamens. Gesneria blooms abundantly, lasts from early summer to autumn. Below in the photo – Gesneria during the flowering period.
There are more than 50 species in the genus, Gesneria are common in culture:
Hybrid (G. hybrida) .
Swollen (G. ventricosa).
Lebanese (G. libanensis) .
Wedge-shaped (G. cuneifolia) .
Cardinal or scarlet (H. cardinalis, H. macrantha) .
Hybrid Gesneria is grown in rooms, with densely pubescent velvety stems and leaves, bright red flowers up to 8 cm long, growing 3-4 at the top of the stem.
Cultivation and reproduction
Indoor Gesneria in the summer is placed in a bright place without direct sunlight, preferably on the east and west windows. By winter, the stems and leaves die off, the flower goes into a dormant state. The tuber is stored at 14-16 ° C, without taking it out of the pot, without watering. In February, it is transplanted into a mixture of peat, sand and leafy soil in equal proportions, leaving the top above the soil surface. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot. Before active growth, water carefully, during the growing season – plentifully. Spraying is useful, you can put the pot on a pallet with gravel. From February to September, 2 times a week they are fed with mineral fertilizer.
Propagated by leaf and stem cuttings, rooting them in light soil or water from May to August. When transplanting, you can divide the tuber. Seed propagation is possible, but laborious.