Sinningia tuberosa

1. Blooming from the tuber
2. Feature table
3. External link
4. Publication and etymology

I have a small seedling of this plant, but others have grown it to blooming stage.

The picture above was taken by Dave Zaitlin, of his own plant.

Blooming from the tuber

This informative picture, taken by Karyn Cichocki, of her own plant, shows the flowerstalks and petioles growing directly from the tuber.

One might expect that this species would be closely related to another sinningia species which blooms directly from the tuber, namely Sinningia defoliata.  Such is not the case, however, as they are in different clades.  S. tuberosa is in the Sinningia clade, grouped around S. speciosa, while S. defoliata is in the Corytholoma clade, a group of mostly tall and/or sticky-leaved species.

A third species, the not-yet-published Sinningia sp. "Santa Teresa", which also blooms directly from the tuber, is in the Sinningia clade with S. tuberosa, but not closely related.

Feature table for Sinningia tuberosa

External Link

See Mauro Peixoto's Brazilian Plants site for a page about S. tuberosa.

Publication

As Gesnera tuberosa by Martius, in 1829.
As Sinningia tuberosa by H.E. Moore, in 1973.

Etymology: From Latin tuber ("swelling").