''Jovellana violacea'', also known as the violet teacup flower or violet slipper flower, is a perennial species of

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 ...

in the family

Calceolariaceae Calceolariaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales that has been recently segregated from Scrophulariaceae. The family includes three genera, ''Calceolaria'', '' Porodittia'', and '' Jovellana'', but analysis suggests that th ...

. It is native to

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

Taxonomy

The generic epithet commemorates

Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos (born Gaspar Melchor de Jove y Llanos, 5 January 1744 – 27 November 1811) was a Spanish neoclassical statesman, author, philosopher and a major figure of the Age of Enlightenment in Spain. Life and influence of ...

. This species is believed to have diverged from its New Zealand counterparts approximately 4.1Mya. It then diverged from '' Jovellana punctata'' about 1.0Mya.

Etymology

The name "violacea" means "violet" which refers to the violet-coloured flowers of this species.

Description

This species is a

semi-evergreen Semi-deciduous or semi-evergreen is a botanical term which refers to plants that lose their foliage for a very short period, when old leaves fall off and new foliage growth is starting. This phenomenon occurs in tropical and sub-tropical woody spec ...

, upright shrub with oval, lobed leaves that occur on red stems. It can reach heights between 1.5 – 2.5m and 0.5 – 1m across. This plant produces pale violet, bell-shaped flowers with dark purple spots. This species flowers in summer.

Cultivation

This plant can be propagated with cuttings in summer. It should be grown in loamy, well-drained, soil while under full, direct sunlight. It can be grown in both slightly acidic or alkaline soils. During the winter, it should be sheltered because even though this species is somewhat

hardy Hardy may refer to: People * Hardy (surname) * Hardy (given name) * Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica * Mount Hardy, Enderby Land * Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island * Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands Australia * Hardy, Sout ...

, it is not tolerant of below-freezing temperatures. It is also said to grow well in conjunction with '' Jovellana punctata.'' It has gained the

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 ...

(AGM) by 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 ...

Uses

This plant is mainly used for ornamental purposes.

Distribution

This species is native to the Biobío region of Chile. It is also found in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Toxicity

There are no known adverse effects associated with toxicity from ''J. violacea.''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15334461 Flora of Chile Lamiales Taxa named by Antonio José Cavanilles