GLOXINIA

(Sinningia speciosa), perennial flowering plant of the family Gesneriaceae. Gloxinias are native to Brazil and are now widely cultivated as garden and house plants. They grow 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) in height and produce large, tubular or bell-shaped flowers surrounded by attractive foliage of a soft, velvety texture. The blooms are characterized by their richness and variety of colouring, which ranges from shades of blue and purple through pink and crimson to white. Gloxinias have tuberous roots and ovate or oblong leaves with toothed margins. The preferred method of propagation is by seed planted indoors in late winter, but choice varieties can be increased by cuttings. The plants require a period of dormancy after flowering. Gloxinias may be put outdoors in summer in moist, rich soil in a warm but shady location. S. speciosa should not be confused with the genus Gloxinia, which contains about eight species of plants that also belong to the family Gesneriaceae but are of lesser horticultural interest.