Dedicated to Conrad Gessner the Swiss humanist, the family of Gesneriaceae includes African Violets, Gloxinias, Streptocarpus and other flowering plants.
Gesneriads can be perennial herbs, shrubs and small trees and they are further classified and differentiated by the mutation of their stems to be rhizomatous, tuberous or fibrous-rooted.
This eBook is the ideal companion for anyone who has a special interest in this genre of flower and wishes to learn their commercial potential, cultural requirements and botanical characteristics.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
Commercial significance of Gesneriads
Uses of Gesneriads
CHAPTER 2 GENERAL CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS
How to grow Gesneriads
Saintpaulia
Sinningia
Achimenes
Kohleria
Streptocarpus
Columnea
Propagation of Gesneriads
Kohleria
Saintpaulia
Sinningias
Achimenes
Kohlerias and other Rhizomatous Gesneriads
Streptocarpus
Columneas
CHAPTER 3 BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS
General botanical description
Roots
Fibrous rooted Gesneriads
Tuberous Gesneriads
Scaly Rhizomatous Gesneriads
Stems
Leaves
Flowers
Corolla
Stamens
Nectar
CHAPTER 4 PLANT DIRECTORY
Achimenes
Aeschynanthus (syn. Trichosporum)
Alloplectus
Asterantha
Bellonia
Besleria
Boea
Briggsia
Capanea
Chirita
Chrysothemis
Columnea
Cyrtandra
Episcia (syn. Alsobia)
Gesnaria
Kohleria
Nautilocalyx
Nematanthus
Niphaea (syn. Meneghinia)
Rhynchoglossum (syn. Klugia)
Ramonda (sometimes spelled ‘Ramondia’)
Saintpaulia (African Violet)
Classification systems and changes to classifying Saintpaulia
Size classifications of Saintpaulia species
A general guide to size categories
Saintpaulia species and their newer classifications
More about S. Ionantha
Sinningia (Gloxinia)
Smithiantha (Temple Bells)
Streptocarpus (Cape Primrose)
FURTHER READING AND STUDY