Hoffmania discolor (Lem.) Hemsl.
Frost-tender herbaceous perennial or sub-shrub with opposite, ovate leaves, shining green above and purple beneath, and axillary racemes, to 14cm, of small red flowers. To 2m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Horticultural & Botanical History
Introduced to Britain in 1850. [JD]. ‘Under the name here preserved we have received at the Royal Gardens of Kew, from the Paris Jardin des Plantes, the very beautiful plant now represented, accompanied by the information that it is a native of Bahia; while in a Belgian nursery catalogue it stands as a native of Mexico. We nowhere find such a name taken up by scientific botanists; and, on the other hand, we are unable to refer it satisfactorily to any published genus. It is treated as a stove-plant, and is remarkable for the lurid green yet satiny surface or velvety gloss of the upper side of the leaves, and the rich red-purple tints of the branches and under side of the foliage, and the still more pronounced red colour of the peduncles and flowers and teeth of the calyx. We have never seen the fruit.’ [BM t.4530/1850].
History at Camden Park
Listed in the 1857 catalogue only [T.278/1857].
Notes
Published Feb 19, 2009 - 08:53 AM | Last updated Aug 13, 2010 - 12:21 PM
Family | Rubiaceae |
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Category | |
Region of origin | Mexico |
Synonyms |
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Common Name | |
Name in the Camden Park Record | Camphylobotrys discolor |
Confidence level | high |