This plant has the characteristic habit of wild Sinningia speciosa, with unusual red coloration which is far more often seen in the S. speciosa hybrids often referred to as “Gloxinias”, which date from the 19th Century. It is not, in fact, a member of that group, but is a modern hybrid created from collected variants of “wild” Sinningia speciosa, with an infusion of genes from modern “Gloxinia-type” S. speciosa hybrids. The red color is derived from a modern seed line sold as “Gloxinia ‘Empress'”.