.

Iochroma cyaneum 'Trebah'

Accepted name

Iochroma cyaneum 'Trebah'

Synonyms Iochroma cyaneum purple-flowered
Iochroma pulcherrimum hort.
Iochroma purpureum  hort.
Iochroma violaceum  hort.
Distribution Widespread in cultivation but origin not known.
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 slightly curved at junction with midrib.

Flowers: purple (approximately RHS purple 79c under glass, darker when grown in full sun outdoors)

Calyx: not inflated, green under relatively shaded conditions but tinged dark purple in full sun.

Corolla: tube 25 - 55 mm long x ca. 8 - 14 mm wide at mouth at anthesis, petals 5.

Gynoecium: stamens 5, ± exerted, anthers, 3 - 3,5 mm long, yellowish usually tinged purplish 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: 171
Comments A plant long grown in the UK and with several horticultural identities as indicated above.  Julian Shaw gave the cultivar name 'Trebah' which has been accepted by the RHS horticultural database.

'Trebah' has the largest flowers of the three named UK cultivars of Iochroma cyaneum commonly exceeding 5 cm long.

Images

home     top     next

last updated 10/10/2008