The name of this beautiful plant comes from the Greek words: nema, meaning "thread", and anthos, translated as "flower". This is due to the fact that some varieties of this flower have a long and thin pedicel.
General information
The popular name of the flower is "Goldfish". The color of its flowers can be yellow, red and orange. According to its external features, the nematanthus plant is similar to the columna (several varieties of nematanthus were previously assigned to this genus) and hypocyrta. The genus Nemananthus consists of several varieties of plants assigned to the Gesneriaceae family.
The place of origin of these epiphytic and semi-epiphytic vines, shrubs and shrubs is the tropical forests of Brazil, but they can be found in their natural environment throughout South America.
Magnificent flower "Goldfish". How to care for him? More information about this is provided later in the article.
About the name of the plant
Nematanthus, as noted above, is a genus of the Gesneriaceae family. Tothe latter includes 28 plant species. The flower owes its name to the German doctor of medicine and botany professor Heinrich Adolf von Schroeder, who created the word "nematanthus", meaning "a flower on a thin peduncle." And it is called "Goldfish" due to the similarity of the shape and shade of the flower of the plant.
Today, the genus Nematanthus and the genus Hypocyrta are united, so it can be legitimately called the second name. The plant has been known in cultivation since 1846.
Views
Before we move on to a more detailed description of the "Goldfish", a brief introduction to the varieties of the genus Nematanthus.
- Nematanthus riverine. It is a climbing plant. Elliptical glossy leaves are up to 10 cm long and oppositely arranged. The flowers have a bright lemon hue.
- Fritch's Nematanthus. In nature, this plant grows to a height of up to 60 cm. The length of the leaves is 7.5 cm, the color is reddish below, green above. The bright pink flowers are funnel-shaped.
- Nematanthus Gregorius. This is the flower "Goldfish". Its yellow-red flowers are shaped like aquarium fish.
- Nematanthus ankle. It is an epiphyte in the form of a shrub. The leaves are 10 cm long, elliptical in shape. Its flowers have a coral-red hue.
- Wetstein Nematanthus. It has long, thin, well-branched stems (about 90 cm). This species is grown as an ampelous plant. The flowers are painted red-orange.
- Nematanthuscoin-leaved. This is also an ampelous plant with fleshy rounded leaves (about 2 cm long). The flowers are painted red with a yellowish tinge. This plant sheds all leaves after flowering.
- Nematanthus naked. Semi-ampel plant with glossy, fleshy leaves 4 cm long. Bright orange flowers.
Description
The leaves of indoor flower "Goldfish" are slightly pubescent, opposite, elliptical, shiny, small, dark green. Young stems are usually erect, but begin to bend and droop from the weight of the leaves.
Axillary inflorescences of nematanthus have short peduncles. The tubular flowers are waxy and about 5 cm long. The corolla is red, pink, dark purple or orange. Stems creeping, covered with fleshy, glossy, small leaves. Flowering in nematanthus is plentiful and long - from spring to autumn. The plant in culture is grown as an ampelous plant - in hanging baskets or planters.
Very unusual flowers in color and shape are similar to a small bright aquarium fish. Due to such flowering, the nemananthus is usually called the "Goldfish" flower (the photo is presented in the article).
Selecting a landing site and lighting
The best place for the permanent growth of any kind of nematanthus is the window of the east or west side of the house. The plant can also grow at the north window, but in this case it will not have enough light in autumn and winter, which can adversely affect flowering. Also atplacing the flower on the south side in the summer should be shaded, as direct sunlight contributes to the appearance of burns on the plant.
In general, the duration of daylight hours should be approximately 12-14 hours a day. In winter, artificial lighting is required.
Home care
Flower ""Goldfish is not particularly demanding for care. The most comfortable temperature for him in the summer season is +20 + 24 ºC, and in winter - no higher than 16 ºC. Nematanthus can suffer from heat at temperatures above +28 ºC. In this case, he should ensure that the night temperature is 5-10 ºC lower than the daytime temperature so that the plant can rest and recuperate.
Nematanthus also tolerates short-term cooling well, but if kept for a long time at temperatures below 12 ºC, the flower loses its decorative effect, and at -7 ºC the leaves turn brown and fall off.
If an earthen lump has moved away from the walls of the pot, it is necessary to pour fresh earth into these cracks.
Water and air humidity
The "Goldfish" flower is also unpretentious regarding watering. Caring for him in this regard is easy. During active growth, watering should be plentiful. By winter, it should be gradually reduced, bringing it to moderate. You need to water the plant as the surface of the substrate dries completely. It is advisable to use water for this only settled and soft, at room temperature.
For this plant levelhumidity should correspond to the room temperature: the higher it is, the higher the air humidity should be. For example, at temperatures around 21 ° C, air humidity should be maintained within 50%, and at temperatures up to 27 ° C, humidity should be approximately 60%. It is advisable to spray daily with a sprayer.
Feeding and trimming the nematanthus
And the flower "Goldfish" responds well to top dressing. Home care in terms of fertilization is also easy. At the stage of active flower growth, it is necessary to apply mineral complex fertilizers approximately once every 14 days. Top dressing should be reduced in the fall (make about once a month). In winter, top dressing is not needed.
A characteristic feature of the nematanthus is that flowers bloom only on young shoots. In this regard, rejuvenating pruning of the plant should be carried out regularly. Usually this event should be done after flowering. After a warm winter, it grows again and therefore also requires pruning in the spring. Cut shoots can be used to propagate the plant.
Nematanthus usually blooms from spring to autumn, but with sufficient lighting in winter, the flower may bloom again.
Reproduction
Goldfish flower breeding can be done both by seeds and cuttings.
The almost dusty seeds of the plant from mature seed pods are collected on a white sheet of paper, as they are almost invisible.
Picking Rules:
- Spread the seeds evenly on moistened and leveled soil (do not sprinkle the earth on top).
- Spray the surface with water and cover the container with plastic wrap or clear glass.
- When the first shoots appear, move the shelter a little to the edge to ventilate the greenhouse.
- Irrigate through the pallet.
- After the appearance of two real leaves, the sprouts should be dived and planted in separate pots (each with several pieces).
Flowering of mature seedlings will only occur the next year after planting.
Propagation by cuttings should be done in spring or summer. To do this, it is necessary to cut off the stem or apical cutting about 10 cm long, while the lower cut of the branch must be made at an angle. On the finished cutting, remove the 2 lower pairs of leaves. For rooting, you can use peat soil, sphagnum moss or water.
When rooting in the substrate, cover the cuttings with a cap cut from a plastic bottle or a plastic cup. It is necessary to maintain the air temperature within 22-24 ° C. The petiole will take root in about 2-3 weeks, after which the plant must be planted in containers with drainage and soil, several pieces each.
Diseases and pests
This tropical plant is very popular among exotic lovers. Home flower "Goldfish" looks great in any interior. However, it can spoil its appearancesome problems associated with diseases and pests, although the plant is quite resistant to them. It can be attacked by aphids, thrips, mealybugs and spider mites. And these problems are more related to the weakening of the plant that occurs with improper care.
Immediately, when pests are detected, they should be removed mechanically. You can moisten a soft cloth or cotton pad with soapy water and gently wipe all the leaves of the plant. If there is no effect, the flower should be treated with insecticides.
If the plant is kept indoors where there is no ventilation and high temperatures prevail, a fungal infection may occur. In this case, treatment with a fungicide (for example, phytosporin) can help.
Other problems
Nematanthus, like many other house plants, has certain problems that it is quite possible to eliminate.
- The tops of the leaves can dry out from high air temperature and inadequate humidity.
- The plant can drop leaves in the presence of sudden changes in air temperature or drafts. This can also happen in winter at low air temperatures, when a clod of earth is very waterlogged.
- The appearance of light brown spots on the leaves occurs when the plant is watered with cold water.
- When large drops of water hit the leaves of a plant, they will turn brown and fall off.
The falling off of the flower "Goldfish" of small leaves while twisting large ones indicates insufficient watering of the plant. AtIn this case, the container with the flower should be placed in a pan with water so that the soil is sufficiently saturated with moisture.
