A Chapter In The Secret History Of The Gloxinia

The author collected what he considered to be a red form of the species then known as Gloxinia caulescens in late 1838 in the vicinity of “Rio Janeiro”. This species is now understood to be a variety of Sinningia speciosa. He describes its subsequent introduction as Gloxinia rubra, propagation in Pennsylvania for sale to a grower in England, and piracy of the plant material by other growers. This collection is now considered to be the source of all red colors in modern Sinningia speciosa hybrids.