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| Chirita, the merits of this flowering pot plant | |
This genus is closely related to Saintpaulia but originates in Asia rather than Africa. Chirita contains about 150 species, most of which have been discovered comparatively recently. They are very new to the possibilities of commercial cultivation. According to species and variety, plants of Chirita can be shrubby perennial herbs, soft-stemmed annual herbs, stemless perennial rosettes or diminutive herbs with only one or two leaves. Many of the species grow on rocky hillsides or cliffs often on limestone. They originate from Sri Lanka and India through the Himalayas into China and South East Asia down the Malay Peninsula and as far as Sumatra, Java and Borneo. The name Chirita comes from the Hindustani word meaning Gentian. The genus varies from Streptocarpus (another closely related genus) by having straight rather than twisted fruits and most species will not tolerate high temperatures. Chirita can be propagated by seed but hybrid varieties will not come true. Leaves can be propagated in a similar way to Saintpaulia. A healthy dark leaf is removed with a clean cut at the base of the petiole. The cut leaf is then placed upright in a mixture of peat based compost and vermiculite and covered with a polythene bag or placed in a propagator to keep humid. The leaf will root within a few weeks at room temperature. A mass of plantlets will be produced that can then be teased apart. Species with larger leaves are propagated by cutting the leaf into sections as in Streptocarpus propagation. The side veins will each produce a plantlet. Plants are grown on in small pots and prefer to be pot-bound. Small species such as C. tamiana will stay small and need pot sizes similar to Saintpaulia. Some of the bigger growing species and hybrids will need regular potting on, eventually growing to a large size. A well-drained light peat or fibre-based compost is required. Plants are watered sparingly and only when the compost is dry. A high potash feed is provided weekly through the growing season. Plants will grow well at ordinary indoor temperatures and in a conservatory or greenhouse this should not rise beyond 30°C. Most species will tolerate low temperatures but need frost protection. They are fairly tolerant of low relative humidity. However during low winter temperatures they do not like high RH and wet compost. Chirita prefers good levels of light but does not want the full sun during the summer months (50% shading in the greenhouse is required during the summer). Different species of Chirita flower at varying seasons throughout the year. For more information, contact www.dibleys.com/chiritas |
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