Sinningia striata

1. Feature table
2. External link
3. Publication and etymology

I have a small plant of Sinningia striata, indoors, under lights.  It has never bloomed. The leaves are small, sort of achimenes-like, borne on recumbent stems, so the plant tends to sprawl.  The leafbacks are maroon, as shown in the picture. It should be noted that Mauro's web site (see link below) shows a plant with a sturdy erect stem and relatively large leaves.  Perhaps my plant is too young to show the adult habit -- or it isn't S. striata. The plants of this "streaky" group seem to be of two types, horticulturally (at least for me).  S. douglasii, S. piresiana, S. polyantha, and S. "Desafinado" are very easy to grow.  The others (S. nivalis, S. rupicola, and S. striata) have never thrived under my conditions.

S. striata is one of the grandparents of Dale Martens's hybrid S. "Texas Zebra", which shows some of the striping of this species.

Feature table for Sinningia striata

Publication

Fritsch, 1900, as Corytholoma striata.  Chautems, 1995, in Gesneriana 1(1), transferred it to Sinningia.  Quoting from Gesneriana: "In 1989 Mauro Peixoto and I found this species growing on top of the Pedra Blanca, Minas Gerais; this mountain is the locality where the type material had been collected by Mosén in 1873.  It differs from S. rupicola (Mart.) Wiehler by its much larger size, leaf shape and ecology."

Etymology: Latin striatus [from stria ("groove or ridge")].  Usually used in the sense of "striped".

External Link

Mauro Peixoto's Brazilian Plants site has a page about S. striata.