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The picture below shows just one of several flower clusters on a very nice plant grown by JoAnna Behl of the Peninsula Gesneriad Society. The streaks typical of its group of species (which includes S. douglasii) are very evident. The flower photo at the right, sharpened to bring out the detail, is from the same plant.
Sinningia nivalis one of a group of species which share the characteristics of determinate growth (stems makes a few leaf nodes, then stops) together with pinkish-purple flowers with prominent longitudinal streaks inside the corolla or outside or both. Some other species in this group are S. douglasii, S. rupicola, S. piresiana, plus the enigmatic S. "Desafinado". All these species are in the Dircaea clade, but the DNA evidence indicates that they do not form a tightly knit group within that clade -- they are scattered among a group of other species which do not have the characteristic streaked flowers (such as S. leucotricha and S. insularis).
This is the Serra do Rio do Rastro. In Brazil in 1999, we saw tubers of S. nivalis growing on the face of this cliff. It probably gets pretty cold there in winter. This species is supposed to be more tolerant of cold than other sinningias, but I don't know if that belief is bolstered by actual experience or is just an inference from the name (which means "snowy").
We were travelling in a tour bus, and the bus went down that winding road in the picture. Our driver was very good!
| Plant Description |
|
| Growth | Determinate |
| Habit | Four-six leaves on short stems |
| Leaves | Resemble those of S. douglasii |
| Dormancy | Stems completely deciduous. Dormancy appears to be obligate. |
Flowering |
|
| Inflorescence | terminal peduncle |
| Season | Spring |
| Flower | Coral, tubular, with dark streaks |
Horticultural aspects |
|
| From seed | Four years to bloom, under my conditions. Your conditions must be better. |
| Hardiness | Is believed to be quite cold-tolerant |
| Recommended? | Not exactly. I had trouble keeping mine alive (and eventually failed to do so). S. douglasii is at least as good and easier. |
Botany |
|
| Taxonomic group | The douglasii group of the Dircaea clade. |
See a picture on Ron Myhr's Gesneriad Reference Web.
Chautems, 1991.
Etymology: Latin nivalis ("snowy"), ultimately from the same Indo-European root (sneigwh) as the English word snow and Russian snyeg. The name of the state of Nevada comes from the same root. From the same Indo-European origin is the Greek word niphas, whence the gesneriad genus Niphaea.