Iochroma cyaneum John Miers

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Iochroma cyaneum 'John Miers'

Accepted name
Iochroma cyaneum 'John Miers'

Synonyms Iochroma cyaneum dark form (probably)

Distribution

Description Habit: shrub to 2 m or more in cultivation.
Leaves: ± elliptic, basally acuminate, 10 - 23 cm x 5 - 10 cm with a 2 - 9 cm petiole. Adaxial surface pale green, slightly hairy but more so on midrib; abaxial surface pale green with dense light brown hairs when young becoming sparse with age, veins strongly curved at junction with midrib.

Flowers: dark blue violet (approximately RHS blue violet 93a when opening under glass, fading to 90B but somewhat darker when grown in full sun outdoors). The characteristic white tips to the petals is due to downy hairs.

Calyx: distinctly inflated, pale green both under relatively shaded conditions and in full sun.

Corolla: tube 25 - 50 mm long x ca. 8 - 12 mm wide at mouth at anthesis, petals 5.

Gynoecium: stamens 5, ± exerted, anthers, 3 - 3,5 mm long, yellowish usually tinged bluish before anthesis.

Fruit: ca. 2 cm long x 1.5 cm wide, conical, partly enclosed in calyx, area around stigma tinged purplish when young, colour fading as fruit matures; greenish-yellow when ripe.

References Shaw 1998: 168

Comments A plant long grown in the UK. There is an illustration of this clone in Curtis's botanical magazine of 1847 from a plant that flowered outdoors at RBG Kew from seed sent by a Mr Purdie from "the mountains of Quindiu" (Quindio in the Colombian Andes). The illustration and W. J. Hooker's text is at http://www.botanicus.org/page/435018 et seq. W. J. Hooker gives the name as Chaenestes lanceolata, a synonym of Iochroma cyaneum.
Julian Shaw gave the cultivar name 'John Miers' which has been tentatively accepted by the RHS horticultural database. This is probably the "dark" form of Iochroma cyaneum accepted in the RHS horticultural database although it cannot now be proven.

'John Miers' appears to be self-sterile but acts as a pollen donor and recipient.

Images

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last updated 10/10/2008

Accepted name	Iochroma cyaneum 'John Miers'
Synonyms	Iochroma cyaneum dark form (probably)
Distribution
Description	Habit: shrub to 2 m or more in cultivation. Leaves: ± elliptic, basally acuminate, 10 - 23 cm x 5 - 10 cm with a 2 - 9 cm petiole. Adaxial surface pale green, slightly hairy but more so on midrib; abaxial surface pale green with dense light brown hairs when young becoming sparse with age, veins strongly curved at junction with midrib. Flowers: dark blue violet (approximately RHS blue violet 93a when opening under glass, fading to 90B but somewhat darker when grown in full sun outdoors). The characteristic white tips to the petals is due to downy hairs. Calyx: distinctly inflated, pale green both under relatively shaded conditions and in full sun. Corolla: tube 25 - 50 mm long x ca. 8 - 12 mm wide at mouth at anthesis, petals 5. Gynoecium: stamens 5, ± exerted, anthers, 3 - 3,5 mm long, yellowish usually tinged bluish before anthesis. Fruit: ca. 2 cm long x 1.5 cm wide, conical, partly enclosed in calyx, area around stigma tinged purplish when young, colour fading as fruit matures; greenish-yellow when ripe.
References	Shaw 1998: 168
Comments	A plant long grown in the UK. There is an illustration of this clone in Curtis's botanical magazine of 1847 from a plant that flowered outdoors at RBG Kew from seed sent by a Mr Purdie from "the mountains of Quindiu" (Quindio in the Colombian Andes). The illustration and W. J. Hooker's text is at http://www.botanicus.org/page/435018 et seq. W. J. Hooker gives the name as Chaenestes lanceolata, a synonym of Iochroma cyaneum. Julian Shaw gave the cultivar name 'John Miers' which has been tentatively accepted by the RHS horticultural database. This is probably the "dark" form of Iochroma cyaneum accepted in the RHS horticultural database although it cannot now be proven. 'John Miers' appears to be self-sterile but acts as a pollen donor and recipient. Images