''Achimenes'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical
rhizomatous perennial
herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
s in the
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
family
Gesneriaceae
Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, is a 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 Gesnerioideae), with ...
. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot water plant.
Etymology
According to some authorities, the plant's name may come from the Greek word ''cheimanos'' meaning "tender" or "sensitive to cold."
Range and taxonomy
The genus is native to
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
and
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
, with one species (''A. erecta'') occurring naturally in the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
. The largest number of species is found in Mexico. Several species and hybrids are widely cultivated and naturalized outside their native range. A complete list of the species, with their synonyms and geographic distributions, can be found in the Smithsonian Institution's World Checklist of Gesneriaceae.
Two species previously included in ''Achimenes'' are now classified in the
segregation genus ''
Eucodonia'' and several phylogenetic studies have supported this separation.
File:Achimenes cettoana in cultivation.jpg, ''Achimenes cettoana'' in cultivation
File:Achimenes erecta in cultivation.jpg, ''Achimenes erecta'' in cultivation
File:Achimenes longiflora.jpg, ''Achimenes longiflora'' in cultivation
File:Achimenes misera in cultivation.jpg, ''Achimenes misera'' in cultivation
File:Achimenes patens 'Major' in cultivation.jpg, ''Achimenes patens'' 'Major' in cultivation
File:Achimenes pedunculata in cultivation.jpg, ''Achimenes pedunculata'' in cultivation
File:Achimenes skinneri in cultivation.jpg, ''Achimenes skinneri'' in cultivation
Species
Species include:
*''
Achimenes admirabilis''
Wiehler
*''
Achimenes antirrhina''
(DC.) C.V.Morton
*''
Achimenes brevifolia''
C.V.Morton
*''
Achimenes candida''
Lindl.
*''
Achimenes cettoana
''Achimenes'' is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot wat ...
''
H.E.Moore
*''
Achimenes dulcis''
C.V.Morton
*''
Achimenes elota
''Achimenes'' is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot wat ...
''
Denham
*''
Achimenes erecta''
(Lam.) H.P.Fuchs
*''
Achimenes fimbriata
''Achimenes'' is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot wat ...
''
Rose ex C.V.Morton
*''
Achimenes flava
''Achimenes'' is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot wat ...
''
C.V.Morton
*''
Achimenes glabrata
''Achimenes'' is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot wat ...
''
(Zucc.) Fitzg.
*''
Achimenes grandiflora
''Achimenes grandiflora'' (Schltdl.) DC.DeCandolle, A. Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis 7(2): 536. 1839. is a plant species in the genus ''Achimenes'', family Gesneriaceae
Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, is a family of f ...
''
(Schiede) DC.
*''
Achimenes heterophylla
''Achimenes'' is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot wat ...
''
(Mart.) DC.
*''
Achimenes hintoniana
''Achimenes'' is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot wat ...
''
Ram.-Roa & L.E.Skog
*''
Achimenes longiflora
''Achimenes longiflora'' has many common names including Cupid's bow, nut-orchid, and magic flower.
It can grow up to long, arising from small rhizomes. The hairy leaves have saw toothed edges and can be up to long and wide. The flowers are ...
''
DC.
*''
Achimenes mexicana
''Achimenes'' is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot wat ...
''
(Seem.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Fritsch
*''
Achimenes misera
''Achimenes'' is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot wat ...
''
Lindl.
*''
Achimenes nayaritensis
''Achimenes'' is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot wat ...
''
L.E.Skog
*''
Achimenes obscura
''Achimenes'' is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot wat ...
''
C.V.Morton
*''
Achimenes occidentalis
''Achimenes'' is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot wat ...
''
C.V.Morton
*''
Achimenes patens
''Achimenes'' is a genus of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. They have a multitude of common names such as magic flowers, widow's tears, Cupid's bower, or hot wat ...
''
Benth.
*''
Achimenes pedunculata''
Benth.
*''
Achimenes × sanguinea''
(hort. ex Hanst.) Regel ex Hanst.
*''
Achimenes skinneri''
Gordon ex Lindl.
*''
Achimenes tincticoma''
D.L. Denham
*''
Achimenes woodii''
C.V.Morton
Cultivation
''Achimenes'' species and hybrids are commonly grown as greenhouse plants, or outdoors as bedding plants in subtropical regions. The species have been extensively
hybridized, with many of the hybrids involving the large-flowered species ''A. grandiflora'' and ''A. longiflora''. Many of the species and their hybrids have large, brightly colored flowers and are cultivated as ornamental greenhouse and bedding plants. They are generally easy to grow as long as their basic requirements are met: a rich well-drained soil on the acid side, bright indirect light, warmth, constant moisture, and high humidity. They have a winter dormancy and overwinter as scaly rhizomes, which should be kept dry until they sprout again in the spring. Some of the species and their hybrids are moderately hardy and can be grown outdoors year-round in zone 8, or even zone 7 with protection.
In the UK, the following 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 (Nort ...
’s
Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
History
The Award of Garden Merit ...
:-
*'Ambroise Verschaffelt'
*'Hilda Michelsen'
*× ''Achimenantha Inferno' (× ''Achimenantha'' is an intergeneric hybrid between ''Achimenes'' and ''
Smithiantha
''Smithiantha'', sometimes referred to as temple bells, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae, endemic to southern Mexico, primarily in Oaxaca state.
Species
* ''Smithiantha amabilis'' (Decne.) Kuntze
* ''Smithiantha cinnabar ...
'')
References
External links
Botany.com: Achimenes
(from the ttp://www.gesneriads.ca Gesneriad Reference Web
''Achimenes''
(fro
Genera of Gesneriaceae
World Checklist of Gesneriaceae
{{Taxonbar, from=Q158834
Gesnerioideae
Gesneriaceae genera