Are There Gesneriad Relatives?
There are many interesting members of the Gesneriad family, almost 1000 of which are illustrated on this website. Some are kind of obscure, and a few are more interesting than attractive. But there certainly is lots of diversity. For instance, the Streptocarpus genus is becoming increasingly popular as a relatively easy-to-grow houseplant, especially where summer temperatures do not get too hot and humid. S. Sandra is a particularly beautiful hybrid, popular in Britain and recently available in North America. Among the trailing plants, the Columneas can be spectacularly beautiful, and are often not difficult to grow. An excellent example is the old hybrid C. Early Bird , still available from many sources. Although the relatively common “Lipstick Plant” (Aeschynanthus species) is attractive and easy to grow, other members of this genus also make good basket plants. A. Big Apple is an example of a recent hybrid that has achieved great popularity. Many growers are captivated by the Sinnin
