''Sinningia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

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 ...

s in the 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), wi ...

. 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 Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growin ...

herbaceous

perennials A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

, 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 relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

, with the greatest concentration of species occurring in southern

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. 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 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 biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...

or bees but ''Sinningia brasiliensis'' is

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". 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 ...

-pollinated, and ''Sinningia tubiflora'', with large, powerfully fragrant tubular white flowers, is apparently pollinated by

sphinx moth The Sphingidae are a family of moths (Lepidoptera) 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 ...

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

houseplants A houseplant, sometimes known as a pot plant, potted plant, or an indoor plant, is an ornamental plant that is grown indoors. As such, they are found in places like residences and offices, mainly for decorative purposes. Common houseplants are us ...

. 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 (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gree ...

and succulent enthusiasts as caudiciforms. One such example is '' Sinningia leucotricha'', 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 her ...

'', ''

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 her ...

'', 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 her ...

.'' The Brazilian genera ''

Paliavana ''Paliavana'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the 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 ...

'' and ''

Vanhouttea ''Vanhouttea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the African violet 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 o ...

'', 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 a ...

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

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 (Nor ...

's Award of Garden Merit.

Species

Species include: *'' Sinningia aggregata'' (Ker Gawl.) Wiehler *'' Sinningia aghensis'' Chautems *'' Sinningia amambayensis'' Chautems *''

Sinningia araneosa ''Sinningia araneosa'' is a flowering plant in the family Gesneriaceae. It was described in 1857 and not found afterwards, until it was rediscovered in the 1990s in the state of São Paulo State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media L ...

'' Chautems, 1997 *'' Sinningia barbata'' (Nees & Mart.) G. Nicholson *'' Sinningia brasiliensis'' (Regel & E. Schmidt) Wiehler *'' Sinningia bulbosa'' (Ker Gawl.) Wiehler *'' Sinningia bullata'' Chautems et al., 2010 *'' Sinningia canastrensis'' Chautems et al., 2010 *'' Sinningia canescens'' (Mart.) Wiehler *'' Sinningia cardinalis'' (Lehm.) H.E.Moore *'' Sinningia carolinae'' (Wawra) Benth. & Hook. f. ex Siebert & Voss *'' Sinningia cochlearis'' (Hook.) Chautems *'' Sinningia concinna'' (Hook. f.) G. Nicholson *'' Sinningia cooperi'' (J. Paxton) Wiehler *'' Sinningia discolor'' (Decne. ex Hanst.) Sprague *''

Sinningia douglasii ''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 ...

'' (Lindl.) Chautems *'' Sinningia elatior'' (Kunth) Chautems *'' Sinningia eumorpha'' H.E. Moore *'' Sinningia gerdtiana'' Chautems et al., 2010 *'' Sinningia gesneriifolia'' (Hanst.) Clayberg *'' Sinningia gigantifolia'' Chautems *'' Sinningia glazioviana'' (Fritsch) Chautems *''

Sinningia globulosa ''Sinningia globulosa'' is a tuberous member of the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. It is found in Brazil. References External links

Sinningia, globulosa Flora of Brazil {{Gesneriaceae-stub ...

'' Chautems et al., 2010 *'' Sinningia guttata'' Lindl. *'' Sinningia harleyi'' Chautems *'' Sinningia hatschbachii'' Chautems *'' Sinningia helioana'' Chautems et al., 2010 *'' Sinningia helleri'' Nees *'' Sinningia hirsuta'' (Lindl.) G.Nicholson *''

'' Chautems *'' Sinningia incarnata'' (Aubl.) D.L.Denham *'' Sinningia insularis'' (Hoehne) Chautems *'' Sinningia kautskyi'' Chautems *'' Sinningia leopoldii'' (Scheidw. ex Planch.) Chautems *'' Sinningia leucotricha'' (Hoehne) H.E.Moore *'' Sinningia lindleyi'' Schauer *''

'' (Hjelmq.) Chautems *'' Sinningia macrophylla'' (Nees & Mart.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Fritsch *'' Sinningia macrostachya'' (Lindl.) Chautems *'' Sinningia magnifica'' (Otto & A. Dietr.) Wiehler *'' Sinningia maximiliana'' (Hanst.) Benth. & Hook. ex Fritsch *'' Sinningia micans'' (Fritsch) Chautems *'' Sinningia muscicola'' Chautems et al., 2010 *'' Sinningia nivalis'' Chautems *'' Sinningia nordestina'' Chautems, Baracho & J.A.Siqueira *'' Sinningia ×'' ornata (Van Houtte) H.E. Moore *'' Sinningia piresiana'' (Hoehne) Chautems *''

Sinningia polyantha ''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 ...

'' (DC.) Wiehler *'' Sinningia pusilla'' (Mart.) Baill. *'' Sinningia reitzii'' (Hoehne) L.E. Skog *'' Sinningia richii'' Clayberg *'' Sinningia rupicola'' (Mart.) Wiehler *'' Sinningia sceptrum'' (Mart.) Wiehler *'' Sinningia schiffneri'' Fritsch *'' Sinningia sellovii'' (Mart.) Wiehler *''

'' (Lodd.) Hiern *'' Sinningia striata'' (Fritsch) Chautems *'' Sinningia tribracteata'' (Otto & A. Dietr.) Wiehler *'' Sinningia tuberosa'' (Mart.) H.E. Moore *'' Sinningia valsuganensis'' Chautems *'' Sinningia verticillata'' (Vell.) H.E. Moore *'' 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