Boea
| Boea | |
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| Boea hygroscopica | |
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| Genus: | Boea |
| Type species | |
| Boea magellanica Lam.
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| Species | |
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See text | |
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Boea is a genus of plants in the Gesneriaceae (Gesneriads) family, with species originating from Australia, China, India, Malaysia, Birma, Philippines, Polynesia, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.[1] Boea make good house plants, but also successfully grow in the wild.
For example, B. hygroscopica, also known as the Queensland rock violet in Australia, occurs in Cape York Peninsula and Northeast Queensland as far south as Rockhampton, within an altitude range from 60–900 metres (200–2,950 ft). It grows along creek beds, on moist banks, moss-covered rocks in rainforest, open forest, vine forest and gallery forest.[2]
Some Boea species are known as types of resurrection plant due to their ability to survive desiccation (e.g. B. hygrometrica and B. hygroscopica).[3][4]
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Boea hemsleyana plant -
Boea hemsleyana flowers -
Boea hemsleyana seedlings
Cultivation
These cultivation notes are based on B. hygroscopica, a species from Northern Queensland, Australia.[5]
B. hygroscopica grows to about 15 centimetres (6 in), and forms a dense, velvety clump that flowers over many weeks in the warm months.
A well-drained soil is suggested soil for this plant, achieved by using a potting mix with 20% sand content, and 5mm (~0.2 inches) of scoria or other drainage material in the bottom of the pot. A fertiliser with an NPK ratio of about 13.8:3.2:9.9, plus trace elements, is recommended.
This plant prefers bright, filtered light, possibly with some early-morning direct sun. It can be planted in the garden in a well drained, consistently moist location.
The only major pests of this plant are chewing insects such as grasshoppers and caterpillars.
Species
The Smithsonian lists the following Boea species.[1]
The Smithsonian also lists:[1]
- Kaisupeea herbacea with the basionym: Boea herbacea
- Leptoboea multiflora with the previous synonym Boea multiflora
References
- ^ a b c Skog, L.E. & J.K. Boggan. 2007. World Checklist of Gesneriaceae. Washington, DC: Dept. of Botany, Smithsonian Institution.
- ^ Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants fact sheet
- ^ Jiang,G et al. 2007. Planta, May 2007, Volume 225, Issue 6, pp 1405-1420
- ^ Navari-Izzo,F et al. 2006. Physiologica Plantarum, Unusual composition of thylakoid membranes of the resurrection plant Boea hygroscopica: Changes in lipids upon dehydration and rehydration, Volume 94, Issue 1, pages 135–142, May 1995
- ^ Jacson, S. Tropiclimber Cultivation Information.