2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Lovers of tropical exoticism do not need to spend money to admire the picturesque vegetation of Sri Lanka or India. Today, the tropics easily enter our house with indoor decorative vines or shrubs, giving elegant flowering
Rod Crossandra
Fifty species of evergreen shrubs are united by botanists in
genus Crossandra (Crossandra). Although the name of the genus is very similar to the name of the messenger of misfortune, the ancient Greek Kassandra, it has nothing to do with her. Such an unusual word for our speech is formed by two Greek words, which, at first glance, do not in any way combine with each other. After all, these are words such as "fringe", which is more associated with women's clothing, and "man". And served such an unusual neighborhood of words, the stamens of flowers (the male organ of a plant), which have a fringed appearance.
Thanks to the spike-shaped inflorescences of bright flowers, the plant pleases for a long period with its abundant flowering, replacing the fading flowers with new ones, as, for example, in gladioli. The pubescent green bracts also give decorative effect.
But not only flowers with bracts attract the attention of flower growers. Leathery simple leaves, painted bright green and smooth to the touch, as if nature had varnished their surface, are picturesque and decorative even in winter when there are no flowers.
Varieties
* Crossandra funnel-shaped (Crossandra infundibuliformis or Crossandra undulyfolia) is an evergreen shrub that grows in nature up to a meter in height, behaves more modestly in indoor conditions and is popular with indoor plant lovers. Its large glossy dark green leaves have a wavy edge. The flowers that form a spike-shaped inflorescence can have a wide variety of colors: orange, apricot, yellow, coral, red and even turquoise. The plant gives abundant flowering under favorable conditions from spring to winter. The funnel-shaped crossandra is called the "fireworks flower" for the "explosive nature" of its seed pods, which, when dry, explode, scattering seeds to continue life. Women love to decorate their hairstyles with flowers, and sculptures of gods in temples are decorated with garlands made of flowers.
* Crossandra nylotika (Crossandra nilotica) is a shorter species, growing up to half a meter with glossy leaves and spike-shaped apical inflorescences of brick-red flowers.
* Guinea crossandra (Crossandra guineensis) - a low-growing shrub that grows up to 20 cm in height is less popular, but attracts lovers of lilac color, since its flowers are lilac.
* Stalked crossandra (Crossandra subacauis) - bright orange flowers adorn a dwarf half-shrub, up to 15 cm high.
Growing
For the abundant flowering of Crossandra, it is very important to provide the plant with a well-lit place. The soil in the pot should be loose and fertile, well seasoned with organic matter.
Although when planting a plant, a long-acting complex fertilizer should be applied to the soil, in the summer, watering is combined with mineral fertilizing once a week. It is necessary to be very careful with watering the plant, since excess moisture is destructive for it. Although you should not bring the soil to complete dryness, which will also badly affect the leaves and flowering. As a rule, watering is carried out when the topsoil becomes dry.
The most favorable air temperature for the plant is 20 degrees. In winter, you should not bring the temperature below plus 16 degrees, although for Crossandra funnel-shaped you can find in the literature the permissible temperature up to plus 10 degrees.
To maintain the appearance, the surface of the leaves is wiped with a damp cloth. Before a period of relative dormancy, when flowering ends, large bushes are sheared, leaving two-thirds of the length of the branches.
Reproduction
In nature, the plant propagates by seeds, but in indoor conditions it is more expedient to propagate by cuttings.
Enemies
Enemies include excess moisture, spider mites and aphids.
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