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Streptocarpus (From streptos twisted)
(from streptos, twisted, and karpos, a fruit; the capsule is spirally twisted). Cape Primrose. ORD. Gesneraceae. A genus comprising about a dozen species of pretty, stove or greenhouse, often villous or woolly herbs, sometimes stemless with spreading radical leaves, or rarely caulescent with opposite leaves (in some of the species, there is only one leaf in the adult state; this being, in reality, one of the cotyledons, which has developed to an enormous extent); they are natives of South and tropical Africa and Madagascar. Flowers pale, purplish, blue, or reddish, showy; calyx five-parted; corolla tube straight, declined, or incurved; limb obliquely bilabiate, spreading, the posterior lobe bifid, the anterior and larger one trifid; perfect stamens two; peduncles scape-like or axillary, sometimes one or two-flowered, sometimes cymosely many-flowered; bracts small. Most of the species have been introduced. They thrive in any rich soil or vegetable mould; and may be readily increased by divisions, or by seeds. All are perennials, and, except where otherwise stated, natives of South Africa. S. bifloro-polyanthus (hybrid). fl. pale lilac-blue; peduncles two to four-flowered. l. rosulate, oblong, rugose, crenate. 1882. Garden hybrid. Greenhouse. (F. d. S. 2429.) S. caulescens (caulescent). fl. produced in pedunculate cymes; corolla pale lilac, 1/2in. in diameter. Summer. l. in pairs, shortly stalked, elliptic, obtuse. Stem curious, gouty, hairy, giving off leafy branches. Eastern tropical Africa, 1885. Stove. (B. M. 6814.) S. Dunnii (Dunn's).* fl. 1 1/2in. or more long, at length drooping; corolla pale or bright rose-coloured with a bright red tinge, between tubular and funnel-shaped, the lobes rounded; scapes six to eight or more, erect, 1ft. high, bearing much-branched panicles. May and June. l. solitary, 1 1/2ft. to 3ft. long, sessile, horizontal and decurved, broadly oblong, obtuse, rounded at base, finely pubescent above, tomentose beneath. Stem very short. Transvaal, 1884. (B. M. 6903.) S. Gardeni (Capt. Garden's). fl., corolla 2 1/4in. long; tube whitish or pale green, moderately curved downwards; limb pale lilac, the lower three lobes streaked with blood-colour; scapes two-flowered. Summer. l. all radical and pressed close to the earth, ovate-oblong, cordate at base, on rather short petioles, crenated, downy, crisped. h. 6in. 1854. Allied to S. Rexii. Warm greenhouse. (B. M. 4862; F. d. S. 1214.) S. Greenii (Green's). A free-flowering garden hybrid between S. Rexii and S. Saundersii, of dwarf, compact habit. 1882. Stove. (G. C. n. s., xvii., p. 303.) S. Kirkii (Kirk's). fl. produced in loose, axillary, pedunculate cymes; corolla lilac, 1/2in. long. Summer. l. petiolate, cordate-elliptic, obtuse, pubescent. Stem distinct, erect, pubescent. Eastern tropical Africa, 1884. Stove. (B. M. 6782.) S. parviflora (small-flowered).* fl. numerous, sub-paniculate; corolla white, with faint purplish streaks on the three lower lobes, the tube 3/4in. long, the lobes 1/4in. long; scapes longer or shorter than the leaves, slender, hairy. June. l. sub-erect, numerous, tufted, 5in. to 9in. long, 1 1/2in. to 2in. broad, sessile, oblong or ovate-or lanceolate-oblong, obtuse, crenulate, wrinkled, densely velvety. 1882. Greenhouse. (B. M. 6636.) S. polyantha (many-flowered). fl. panicled; corolla pale blue, 1 1/2in. long, the tube much curved, the limb very oblique, the lobes toothed; scapes one to three, 1ft. or more high. Summer. l. few, about two pairs, pressed on the soil, unequal in size, one of the pair being 1ft. long and the opposite one scarcely 2in., both cordate-oblong, wrinkled, and downy. 1854. Greenhouse.(B. M. 4850; F. d. S. 1168; R. G. 206; R. H. 1862, 250.) S. Rexii (Rex's).* fl. bluish; calyx lobes slightly obtuse, 1/4in. long; corolla 1 1/2in. long; scapes bibracteate above the middle, one or sometimes two-flowered. June. l. all radical, prostrate, ovate-oblong, crenate, wrinkled, pubescent, much wrinkled and paler beneath. h. 6in. 1824. Stove. (B. R. 1173; R. G. 204.) SYN. Didymocarpus Rexii (B. M. 3005; H. E. F. iii. 227). S. Saundersii (Saunders')* fl. pale blue, drooping, on pedicels 1in. long; corolla 1 1/2in. long, funnel-shaped, the tube broad and nearly straight, the limb very oblique; cyme compound; scapes several. Summer. l. solitary, radical, 1ft. long, 8in. to 9in. broad, cordate, obtuse, velvety, coarsely serrated, pale yellowish-green above, rose-purple and very tomentose beneath. h. 1ft. 1860. Stove. (B. M. 5251; F. d. S. 1802; R. G. 826.)