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(Last Modified On 8/7/2013)
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(Last Modified On 8/7/2013)
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Species
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Episcia cupreata (Hook.) Hanst.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Linnaea 34: 340. 1865.
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Synonym
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Achimenes cupreata Hook., Bot. Mag. 73: tab. 4312. 1847. TYPE: Magdalena, near Sona, Colombia, Purdie 470 (K, not seen; photo US). Cyrtodeira cupreata (Hook.) Hanst., Linnaea 26: 207, 215, pl. 2, fig. 39. 1853.
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Description
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Stoloniferous creeping terrestrial herbs 5-20 cm tall; stems slender and terete, ca. 5 mm in diam., hirsute, the young stems reddish, the stolons to 50 cm long, reddish or green, hirsute with few branches. Leaves grouped at the apex of stolon or branch, equal or subequal in a pair, somewhat bullate, broadly elliptic to oblong ovate, 2.6-8.9 cm long, 1.1-5.0 cm wide, membranous, the apex acute, obtuse or acuminate, the base obliquely rounded to acute or subcordate, crenate to serrate, above dark green, reddish green or with pale green or silvery variegation along the impressed main veins, hirsute, trichomes erect or appressed, below lighter green with prominent veins, the petioles 0.7-4.1 cm long, usually reddish, hirsute. Inflorescences of 1-4 flowers; peduncles short, 1-2 mm long, bibracteate; pedicels 1.1-4.5 cm long, reddish, hirsute. Flowers showy, usually red; floral tube short, rounded, hirsute; sepals lanceolate, slightly connate at base, 4 sepals erect, the fifth curved around corolla spur, 5-12 mm long, 1-3 mm wide, sparsely pilose, the apex acute, subentire, the outside green or reddish, the inside green; corolla scarlet, bright red, orange, at least on the upper side, yellow and sometimes spotted on the lower side, or rarely all yellow, inside yellow with red or purple spots, the throat with colorless papillae, limb orange
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Habit
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herbs
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Description
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red or deep red, tube ca. 2.0 cm long, 3-4 mm wide at the oblique base, slightly contracted above the spur, above curved and 6-9 mm wide, widening to a prominent swelling just below the throat, the outside villous; spur obtuse, the limb somewhat oblique, 14-25 mm wide, the lobes nearly equal, rounded, entire to erose, the upper lobes somewhat reflexed, the lower lobes spreading; stamens included, the filaments connate at the base, glabrous, contorted after anthesis, the anthers coherent in a square, each orbicular or oblong, staminode ca. 1 mm long, glabrous with a sterile anther; nectary a single glabrous gland, entire or slightly bilobed, rarely 2 lateral glands; ovary ovoid, 2.5-4 mm long, hirsute, the style glabrate, the stigma bilobed. Capsule globose, 4-6 mm in diam., hirsute; seeds ellipsoid, ca. 0.5 mm long or less, dark brown.
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Distribution
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native to Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil, but is widely grown as a house plant in temperate and tropical areas
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Note
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In tropical areas where the minimum temperature allows its growth, this species can be used as a ground cover and may escape from cultivation. In Panamat, E. cupreata is so far only known from cultivation or as an escape. Cultivars of this species include some found in Panama': Episcia 'Tropical Topaz' with yellow corollas, and another called the Canal Zone Yellow Episcia. Commonly the species is known as the "Flame Violet," but this name may also be applied to E. reptans Mart. and to all Episcias.
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Common
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Flame Violet
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Specimen
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CANAL ZONE: Powell Garden, Balboa, Standley 28560, 41192 (both US). PANAMA: Borders of lake at Las Cumbres, Duke 11821 (MO).
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