''Sinningia'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the family

Gesneriaceae Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, is a family (biology), family of flowering plants consisting of about 152 genera and ca. 3,540 species in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World (almost all Didymocarpoideae) and the New World (most Ges ...

. It is named after Wilhelm Sinning (1792–1874), a gardener of the

Botanische Gärten der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn The Botanische Gärten der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn (6.5 hectares open to public, 3 hectares private), also known as the Botanischer Garten Bonn, is a botanical garden and arboretum maintained by the University of Bonn. It is located ...

. There are about 65 species of

tuberous Tubers are a type of enlarged structure that plants use as storage organs for nutrients, derived from stems or roots. Tubers help plants perennate (survive winter or dry months), provide energy and nutrients, and are a means of asexual reprodu ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

perennials In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

, all occurring in Central and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

, with the greatest concentration of species occurring in southern

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. The best-known species, ''

Sinningia speciosa ''Sinningia speciosa'', sometimes known in the horticultural trade as gloxinia, is a Tuber, tuberous member of the flowering plant native to Brazil within the family Gesneriaceae. Originally included in the genus ''Gloxinia (genus), Gloxinia'' i ...

'', was originally introduced in cultivation as ''Gloxinia speciosa'' and is still commonly known to gardeners and in the horticultural trade as "gloxinia", although this is now considered incorrect. The true genus '' Gloxinia'' is distinguished by having scaly

rhizomes In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

rather than tubers. ''Sinningia'' species often grow on rocks or cliffs and most are pollinated by

hummingbirds Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...

bees Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...

but ''Sinningia brasiliensis'' is

bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

-pollinated, and ''

Sinningia tubiflora ''Sinningia tubiflora'', the trumpet-flowered sinningia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Gesneriaceae, native to Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay in South America. Growing to tall and broad, this tuberous, mound-forming herbaceous ...

'', with large, powerfully fragrant tubular white flowers, is apparently pollinated by

sphinx moth The Sphingidae are a family of moths commonly called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as hornworms. It includes about 1,450 species. It is best represented in the tropics, but species ar ...

s. Most of the species have large, brightly colored flowers. Because of this, numerous species and numerous hybrids and

cultivars A cultivar is a kind of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and which retains those traits when propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue cult ...

are grown as

houseplants A houseplant, also known as a pot plant, potted plant, or indoor plant, is an ornamental plant cultivated indoors. for aesthetic or practical purposes. These plants are commonly found in House, homes, Office, offices, and various indoor spaces, w ...

. A cultivar worth knowing is ''Sinningia x 'Lovely.' ''This beautifully gentle plant is a cross between ''Sinningia sellovii'' and ''Sinningia tubiflora.'' Its tall spikes and tubular flowers attract butterflies, and delight gardeners. Some species with particularly large tubers are cultivated by

cactus A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

and

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

enthusiasts as caudiciforms. One such example is ''

Sinningia leucotricha ''Sinningia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. It is named after Wilhelm Sinning (1792–1874), a gardener of the Botanische Gärten der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. There are about 65 species of tuberous herb ...

'', often listed under the older name ''Rechsteineria leucotricha'' and dubbed "Brazilian edelweiss" for its covering of silvery, silky hairs. Other species with large tubers are ''

Sinningia iarae ''Sinningia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. It is named after Wilhelm Sinning (1792–1874), a gardener of the Botanische Gärten der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. There are about 65 species of tuberous herb ...

'', ''

Sinningia lineata ''Sinningia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. It is named after Wilhelm Sinning (1792–1874), a gardener of the Botanische Gärten der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. There are about 65 species of tuberous herb ...

'', and ''

Sinningia macropoda ''Sinningia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. It is named after Wilhelm Sinning (1792–1874), a gardener of the Botanische Gärten der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. There are about 65 species of tuberous herb ...

.'' The Brazilian genera ''

Paliavana ''Paliavana'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Gesneriaceae Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, is a family (biology), family of flowering plants consisting of about 152 genera and ca. 3,540 species in the tropics and ...

'' and ''

Vanhouttea ''Vanhouttea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the African violet family Gesneriaceae Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, is a family (biology), family of flowering plants consisting of about 152 genera and ca. 3,540 species in the tropic ...

'', consisting of shrubby plants without tubers, are closely related to ''Sinningia'' and recent morphological and molecular analyses (Boggan 1991, Perret et al. 2003) suggest that these genera are, in fact, nontuberous ''Sinningia'' species. All three genera were included in tribe Gloxinieae in the classification system of

Hans Wiehler Hans Joachim Wiehler (8 July 1930 in Klecie, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Klettendorf – 2003) was a German botanist who specialized in the plant family Gesneriaceae. In 1954 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana ...

but are now recognized in their own tribe, Sinningieae. Numerous genera, including ''Corytholoma'', ''Rechsteineria'' and ''Lietzia'', have been synonymized under ''Sinningia''.

Garden uses and cultivation

File:Sinningia incarnata.jpg, '' Sinningia incarnata'' File:迷你岩桐 Sinningia Quasar -香港花展 Hong Kong Flower Show- (17015358186).jpg, A miniature ''Sinningia'' hybrid File:Sinningia leucotricha 39298.JPG, ''Sinningia leucotricha'' cultivated to highlight the large tuber Sinningias are attractive greenhouse plants and houseplants that appeal strongly to gardeners who like to specialize in particular plant groups. The chief environmental needs are warmth, high humidity, suitable soil and good light with shade from strong sun. The soil should be well drained. It should contain a liberal proportion of organic matter, such as leaf mold or peat moss, and enough coarse sand or perlite to ensure good porosity. The hybrid cultivars 'Empress Purple Spotted' and 'Empress Red' have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

Species

Sinningia gigantifolia ''Sinningia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. It is named after Wilhelm Sinning (1792–1874), a gardener of the Botanische Gärten der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. There are about 65 species of tuberous herba ...

'' Chautems * '' Sinningia glazioviana'' (Fritsch) Chautems * '' Sinningia globulosa'' Chautems & M.Peixoto * '' Sinningia guttata'' Lindl. * '' Sinningia harleyi'' Chautems * '' Sinningia hatschbachii'' Chautems * '' Sinningia helioana'' Chautems & Rossini * '' Sinningia helleri'' Nees * '' Sinningia hirsuta'' (Lindl.) G.Nicholson * '' Sinningia hoehnei'' * ''

'' Chautems * '' Sinningia incarnata'' (Aubl.) D.L.Denham * '' Sinningia insularis'' (Hoehne) Chautems * '' Sinningia kautskyi'' Chautems * '' Sinningia lateritia'' * '' Sinningia leopoldii'' (Scheidw. ex Planch.) Chautems * ''

'' (Hoehne) H.E.Moore * '' Sinningia lindleyi'' Schauer * ''

'' (Hjelmq.) Chautems * '' Sinningia lutea'' * '' Sinningia macrophylla'' (Nees & Mart.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Fritsch * ''

'' * '' Sinningia macrostachya'' (Lindl.) Chautems * '' Sinningia magnifica'' (Otto & A. Dietr.) Wiehler * '' Sinningia mauroana'' Chautems * ''

Sinningia micans ''Sinningia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. It is named after Wilhelm Sinning (1792–1874), a gardener of the Botanische Gärten der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. There are about 65 species of tuberous herb ...

'' (Fritsch) Chautems * '' Sinningia minima'' * '' Sinningia muscicola'' Chautems, T.Lopes & M.Peixoto * '' Sinningia nivalis'' Chautems * '' Sinningia nordestina'' Chautems, Baracho & J.A.Siqueira Filho * '' Sinningia piresiana'' (Hoehne) Chautems * '' Sinningia polyantha'' (DC.) Wiehler * '' Sinningia punctata'' * '' Sinningia pusilla'' (Mart.) Baill. * '' Sinningia ramboi'' * '' Sinningia reitzii'' (Hoehne) L.E. Skog * '' Sinningia richii'' Clayberg * '' Sinningia rupicola'' (Mart.) Wiehler * '' Sinningia sceptrum'' (Mart.) Wiehler * '' Sinningia schiffneri'' Fritsch * '' Sinningia schomburgkiana'' * '' Sinningia sellovii'' (Mart.) Wiehler * ''

'' (Lodd.) Hiern * '' Sinningia stapelioides'' * '' Sinningia striata'' (Fritsch) Chautems * '' Sinningia sulcata'' * '' Sinningia sulphurea'' * '' Sinningia tuberosa'' (Mart.) H.E.Moore * ''

'' (Hook.) Fritsch * '' Sinningia valsuganensis'' Chautems * '' Sinningia velutina'' Lindl. * '' Sinningia villosa'' Lindl. * '' Sinningia warmingii'' (Hiern) Chautems

References

* Boggan, J.K. 1991. 1991. A morphological study and cladistic analysis of ''Sinningia'' and associated genera with particular reference to ''Lembocarpus'', ''Lietzia'', ''Paliavana'', and ''Vanhouttea'' (Gesneriaceae: Gloxinieae). Thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, U.S.A. ix + 179 pages, 21 figures. opies available at Cornell University and Smithsonian Institution libraries.* Perret, M., A. Chautems, R. Spichiger, G. Kite, & V. Savolainen. 2003
Systematics and evolution of tribe Sinningieae (Gesneriaceae): evidence from phylogenetic analyses of six plastid DNA regions and nuclear ncpGS
''American Journal of Botany'' 90(3): 445-460. * Wiehler, H. 1983
A synopsis of the neotropical Gesneriaceae
''Selbyana'' 6: 1-219. * Wiehler, H. and A. Chautems. 1995. A reduction of ''Lietzia'' to ''Sinningia''. Gesneriana 1(1): 5-7.

External links

The Genera of Gesneriaceae

from th
Gesneriad Reference Web

Gesneriaceae in: Brazilian Flora Checklist
{{Taxonbar, from=Q159407 Gesneriaceae genera Flora of the Neotropical realm Taxa described in 1825 Taxa named by Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck