Sinningia guttata -- one of the best!

1. Flowers bending toward the light
2. Feature table
3. External link
4. Publication and etymology

Sinningia guttata flowers are distinctive for their white flowers spotted with purple, which are sometimes slightly fragrant.  There is a narrow yellow stripe down the center of the corolla tube.

It's showy, easy to grow, and blooms for several months.  It also looks nice when it isn't in bloom.  What's not to like?

Phototropism

The flowers bend toward the light, so they will often all be facing the same direction, as can be seen in the picture on the right and the one lower on this page.  The calyx is unusual for a sinningia too, being long, green, and leaflike, a feature this plant shares with S. lindleyi.  The calyx is much larger than the flowerbud in its early stages, and completely surrounds it.  The leaves are shiny green on top, and sometimes have a reddish flush on the undersides.

Tuber

Sinningia guttata tubers sprout from the top, like normal sinningias, but they can also sprout from other parts of the tuber.

Feature table for Sinningia guttata

External Link

For another picture of S. guttata, see the picture on Ron Myhr's Gesneriad Reference Web.

Publication

Sinningia guttata was first published in 1827 by John Lindley (1799-1865).

Etymology: Latin guttata, from gutta ("droplet"), which is the source of the English word "gutter" (channel for raindrops).