''Medinilla magnifica'', the showy medinilla or rose grape, is a species of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native to the Philippines . It is an epiphyte. Various species and hybrids in this family are well known and popular with plant collectors with ''

Medinilla speciosa ''Medinilla speciosa'' is a perennial epiphytic plant in the genus ''Medinilla'' of the family Melastomataceae. Etymology ''Medinilla'' is named for José de Medinilla y Pineda, who was governor of Mauritius (then known as the Marianne Islands ...

'' being found almost identical.

Description

The plant grows up to 3 m tall, with opposite, firm, leathery leaves, which grow to 20–30 cm long in an ovate shape with a short point. The flowers grow in

panicles A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are o ...

up to 50 cm long, with ovid pink

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

s. The individual flowers are up to 25 mm in size, and are pink, red or violet. The fruits are violet, fleshy berries, about 1 cm wide. In the Philippines ''M. magnifica'' grows in the forks of large trees. It is an

epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

, which is a plant that grows on other trees but does not withdraw its food from those trees as parasites do.

Cultivation

In the tropics, it is grown as a perennial. It is also a common house plant in cooler climes. King

Boudewijn Baudouin (;, ; nl, Boudewijn Albert Karel Leopold Axel Maria Gustaaf, ; german: Balduin Albrecht Karl Leopold Axel Maria Gustav. 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993), Dutch name Boudewijn, was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his dea ...

of Belgium was a big devotee of ''Medinilla''. He grew them in the royal conservatories and they were depicted on the bank note of 10,000

Belgian franc The Belgian franc ( nl, Belgische frank, french: Franc belge, german: Belgischer Franken) was the currency of the Kingdom of Belgium from 1832 until 2002 when the Euro was introduced. It was subdivided into 100 subunits, each known as a in Dutch ...

s. In temperate zones this plant must be grown under protection all year round, as it does not tolerate temperatures below . It requires high humidity levels, and bright sunlight with shade at the hottest time of the day. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’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 ...

Etymology

''Medinilla'' is named for José de Medinilla y Pineda, who was governor of Mauritius (then known as the Marianne Islands) in 1820.Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 248, 253 ''Magnifica'' means 'magnificent', 'great', 'eminent', or 'distinguished'.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q138748 magnifica Endemic flora of the Philippines Plants described in 1850 Flora of the Philippines