Chirita
| Chirita | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chirita sinensis, now known as Primulina dryas | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Gesneriaceae |
| Genus: | Chirita Buch.-Ham. |
Chirita is an Old World genus of the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae, native to Indo-Malaysia, S. E. Asia, and southern China. In 2011, the species in the genus were reassigned to several genera, with the type species (C. urticifolia) assigned to the genus Henckelia (as H. urticifolia (Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don.) A. Dietr.), so that Chirita became a synonym, no longer recognized.[1]
About (80-)150 species were recognized, about 100 of which are endemic to China. Most of the species have showy tubular flowers with five, usually rounded, petal lobes and are becoming increasingly popular as houseplants in temperate regions, much like their cousins the African violets.
Chirita comes from a Nepalese common name for a gentian.
General Cultivation
Most can be grown in pots in warm (though some are known to tolerate colder conditions), humid conditions and can be propagated from seed (sown in the late winter) or by taking cuttings in the spring and summer.
The species Chirita lavandulacea (lavender chirita), now known as Microchirita lavandulacea[2] has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3]
References
- ↑ Weber, A.; Middleton, D.J.; Forrest, A.; Kiew, R.; Lim, C.L.; Rafidah, A.R.; Sontag, S.; Triboun, P.; Wei, Y.-G.; Yao, T.L.; Möller, M. (2011). "Molecular systematics and remodelling of Chirita and associated genera (Gesneriaceae)". Taxon 60 (3): 767–790.
- ↑ "The Plant List". Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ↑ http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=2314
External links
- Chirita from Genera of Gesneriaceae
- Chirita and Chiritopsis from the Gesneriad Reference Web
- Chirita: a taxonomic review, undated, by John Boggan from the Gesneriad Reference Web
- Rob's Violets