| Species list |
Hybrids list |
Tubers list |
Topics list |
Site index |
What's new |
Home page |
This species is remarkable for the height of its flowerstalk, a record-holder in the genus. The flowers are bell-shaped and purple, and therefore presumably bee-pollinated, unlike the majority of sinningias, which attract hummingbirds.
| Plant Description | |
|---|---|
| Attribute | Information |
| Growth | Determinate on blooming-age plants |
| Habit | Stems upright on blooming-age plants |
| Leaves | Almost black when young, green later, with more or less red on leafback (see a picture). Two-three leaf pairs per stem. |
| Dormancy | Stems of mature plants are fully deciduous. Seedlings which have not bloomed do not necessarily go dormant. |
| Flowering | |
| Attribute | Information |
| Inflorescence | terminal peduncle |
| Season | Flowers in summer |
| Flower | Purple, campanulate |
| Horticultural Aspects | |
| Attribute | Information |
| From seed | Two years to bloom, under my conditions |
| Hardiness | Not frost-tolerant |
| Recommended? | Yes. Just be prepared to give it some vertical space! |
| Botany | |
| Attribute | Information |
| Taxonomic group | The aghensis group of the Corytholoma clade. |
Seedlings of this species have dark leaves. It is not uncommon for sinningia seedlings to have leaves which differ from those of the mature plant.
This species may be closely related to S. sp. "Ibitioca", which also has a tall inflorescence and purple bell-shaped flowers, and also has seedlings with dark leaves. See a comparison of their flowers and seedlings.
I have not been able to get flowers on my plants every year. It seems to be fussier than S. sp. "Ibitioca" about growing conditions. Like the latter, it does appear to need a lot of light. I have several tubers, so I am going to experiment with growing it in different exposures, both indoors and outdoors.
This species does not seem to be fussy about soil. I grow it in my standard commercial potting mix, with no additives, and it does fine.
In my yard, Sinningia aghensis is less tolerant of cold than most other large sinningia species. No S. aghensis that I left outdoors over the winter has ever come back in the spring, regardless of how sheltered the location or how mild the winter. My guess is that somewhere around 40 F (4 C) is the minimum for this species.
This is another trait it shares with S. sp. "Ibitioca".
Sinningia aghensis has a typical "bagel" tuber.
On Ron Myhr's Gesneriad Reference Web, there is an interesting picture, taken by Tsuh Yang Chen, of Sinningia aghensis growing in the open, sprouting from a cactus clump. This strongly suggests that this species can tolerate full sun and some drought.
Chautems, 1991.
Etymology: agh- (see below) + -ensis ("resident of").
According to Alain Chautems, "the name refers to the first location I was aware of: `Monte Agha' which is a granitic inselberg somewhat shaped like an H which is pronounced "agha" in portuguese!"