Gesnera exoniensis

<
>

From Shirley Hibberd’s Beautiful Leaved Plants. This is probably an early Smithiantha hybrid. A close look at the illustration will reveal that the artist has created the reddish effect by painting thousands of tiny red hairs on the image, best seen at the edges.

Another Smithiantha, published as Gesnera cinnabarina illustrates the value placed upon these velvety-leaved plants by the Victorian horticulturalists.