Aeschynanthus
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 Aeschynanthus speciosus | ||||||||||||
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Aeschynanthus is a genus of ca. 185 species of tropical herbs. They are found in southern and southeastern Asia, the islands of Indonesia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. They are usually trailing epiphytes with brightly colored flowers that are pollinated by sunbirds. Among the better known species are Aeschynanthus lobbianus and Aeschynanthus radicans. The genus name comes from a contraction of aischuno (to be ashamed) and anthos (flower). The common name for some species is "lipstick plant", which comes from the appearance of the developing buds of some species. A full list of the accepted species and their synonyms can be found in the Smithsonian Institution's World Checklist of Gesneriaceae.
The genus contains a large variety of plants with differing features. Some have thick, waxy cuticles (as in A. lobbianus) others have much softer leaves (as in A. hildebrandii). Species such as A. speciosus are large where A. micranthus is much smaller and trailing.
- Selected species
- Aeschynanthus hildebrandii
- Aeschynanthus lobbianus
- Aeschynanthus micranthus
- Aeschynanthus radicans
- Aeschynanthus speciosus
- Aeschynanthus longiflorus
- Aeschynanthus perakensis
- Aeschynanthus albidus
- Aeschynanthus angustifolius
Cultivation
They require good lighting and semi-moist, well-drained soil conditions to grow, though they vary and some require more moist soil (such as A. hildebrandii). They also prefer warm and humid conditions. Aeschynanthus lobbianus needs high light intensity to induce flowering.
