Columnea

Columnea is a genus of around 200 species of epiphytic herbs and shrubs in the family Gesneriaceae, native to the tropics of the Americas and the Caribbean. The tubular or oddly shaped flowers are usually large and brightly colored – usually red, yellow, or orange – sometimes resembling a fish in shape. A common name is flying goldfish plants (see also the related Nematanthus) due to the unusual flower shape.

The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus after the Latinized spelling of the name of the 16th-century Italian botanist Fabio Colonna (Latin: Fabius Columnus).

The segregate genus Bucinellina is considered by many botanists a synonym of Columnea. A full list of the species now accepted in the genus, along with their synonyms, can be found at the World Checklist of Gesneriaceae.

Cultivation

Columnea species grow as epiphytic plants in the wild and require bright light, good air circulation, and a well-drained growing medium that is allowed to dry out slightly between waterings. They are very tolerant of underpotting and seem to bloom best when potbound. Most are tropical plants and are easy to grow under indoor or greenhouse conditions but some species come from high altitudes and require cooler temperatures to grow well or bloom. Many of the species are seasonal bloomers, but hybrids and cultivars can be more or less continuously blooming.

The hybrid Columnea × banksii has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Species

216 species are accepted.

• Columnea albifloraL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea albovinosa (M.Freiberg) J.L.Clark & L.E.Skog
• Columnea aliena(C.V. Morton) C.V. Morton
• Columnea alleniiC.V. Morton
• Columnea ambigua(Urb.) B.D. Morley
• Columnea ampliata(Wiehler) L.E. Skog
• Columnea angulata J.L.Clark & Tobar
• Columnea angustata(Wiehler) L.E. Skog
• Columnea anisophyllaDC.
• Columnea antennifera J.L.Clark & Clavijo
• Columnea antiocana(Wiehler) J.F. Sm.
• Columnea argenteaGriseb.
• Columnea argutaC.V. Morton
• Columnea asteroloma(Wiehler) L.E. Skog
• Columnea atahualpaeJ.F. Sm. & L.E. Skog
• Columnea aurantiaWiehler
• Columnea aureaWarsz., nom. nud.
• Columnea bilabiataSeem.
• Columnea billbergianaBeurl.
• Columnea bivalvisJ.L. Clark & M. Amaya
• Columnea blancoi J.E.Jiménez, Chinchilla & Kriebel
• Columnea brenneri(Wiehler) B.D. Morley
• Columnea brevipilaUrb.
• Columnea byrsina(Wiehler) L.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea calotrichaDonn. Sm.
• Columnea canarina Wiehler
• Columnea capillosaL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea carinata J.L.Clark & L.E.Skog
• Columnea caudata M.Amaya & L.P.Kvist
• Columnea cerropirrana(Wiehler) L.E. Skog
• Columnea ceticeps J.L.Clark & J.F.Sm.
• Columnea chiricanaWiehler
• Columnea chocoensis M.Amaya & L.E.Skog
• Columnea chrysotrichaL.E. Skog & L.P. Kvist
• Columnea ciliata(Wiehler) L.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea citrifloraL.E. Skog
• Columnea cobanaDonn. Sm.
• Columnea colombiana(Wiehler) L.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea consanguineaHanst.
• Columnea coronataM. Amaya, L.E. Skog & L.P. Kvist
• Columnea coronocryptaM. Amaya, L.E. Skog & L.P. Kvist
• Columnea corralesii M.Amaya & J.F.Sm.
• Columnea crassaC.V. Morton
• Columnea crassicaulis(Wiehler) L.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea crassifoliaBrongn. ex Lem.
• Columnea cruentaB.D. Morley
• Columnea cuspidataL.E. Skog & L.P. Kvist
• Columnea dictyophyllaDonn. Sm.
• Columnea dielsiiMansf.
• Columnea dimidiata(Benth.) Kuntze
• Columnea dissimilisC.V. Morton
• Columnea domingensis(Urb.) B.D. Morley
• Columnea dressleriWiehler
• Columnea eburnea(Wiehler) L.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea elongatifoliaL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea ericaeMansf.
• Columnea erythrophaeaDecne. ex Houll.
• Columnea erythrophyllaHanst.
• Columnea eubracteataMansf.
• Columnea fawcettii(Urb.) C.V. Morton
• Columnea fernandeziiM. Amaya
• Columnea ferruginea J.F.Sm. & J.L.Clark
• Columnea figueroae M.Amaya
• Columnea filamentosaL.E. Skog
• Columnea filifera(Wiehler) L.E. Skog & L.P. Kvist
• Columnea filipesOliver
• Columnea fimbricalyxL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea flaccidaSeem.
• Columnea flexifloraL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea floribunda Tobar & J.L.Clark
• Columnea floridaC.V. Morton
• Columnea fluidifolia J.L.Clark & Tobar
• Columnea foreroi M.Amaya
• Columnea formosa(C.V. Morton) C.V. Morton
• Columnea fractiflexa J.F.Sm. & J.L.Clark
• Columnea fritschii(Rusby) J.F. Sm.
• Columnea fuscihirtaL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea gallicaudaWiehler
• Columnea gigantifoliaL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea glabraOerst.
• Columnea grata (Oerst. ex Hanst.) C.V.Morton
• Columnea grisebachianaKuntze
• Columnea guatemalensisSprague
• Columnea guianensisC.V. Morton
• Columnea guttataPoepp. in Poepp. & Endl.
• Columnea harrisii(Urb.) Britton ex C.V. Morton
• Columnea herthaeMansf.
• Columnea hiantifloraWiehler
• Columnea hirsutaSwartz, non Auct.
• Columnea hirsutissimaC.V. Morton
• Columnea hirtaKlotzsch & Hanst.
• Columnea hispidaSwartz
• Columnea hypocyrtantha(Wiehler) J.F. Sm. & L.E. Skog
• Columnea illepidaH.E. Moore
• Columnea inaequilateraPoepp. in Poepp. & Endl.
• Columnea incarnataC.V. Morton
• Columnea incredibilisL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea iserniiCuatrec.
• Columnea kalbreyerianaMasters
• Columnea karstenianum R.Kr.Singh
• Columnea katzensteiniae(Wiehler) L.E. Skog & L.P. Kvist
• Columnea kienastianaRegel
• Columnea kucyniakiiRaymond
• Columnea labellosaH. Karst.
• Columnea laciniata J.L.Clark & M.Amaya
• Columnea laevisL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea lanata(Seem.) Kuntze
• Columnea lariensisKriebel
• Columnea lehmanniiMansf.
• Columnea lepidocaulaHanst.
• Columnea linearisOerst.
• Columnea longinervosaL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea longipedicellata M.Amaya, Clavijo & O.H.Marín
• Columnea lophophoraMansf.
• Columnea luciferJ.L. Clark
• Columnea maculataC.V. Morton
• Columnea magnificaKlotzsch ex Oerst.
• Columnea manabiana(Wiehler) J.F. Sm. & L.E. Skog
• Columnea mastersonii(Wiehler) L.E. Skog & L.P. Kvist
• Columnea medicinalis(Wiehler) L.E. Skog & L.P. Kvist
• Columnea megafolia L.E.Skog & M.Amaya
• Columnea microcalyxHanst. (synonym Columnea gloriosaSprague)
• Columnea microphyllaKlotzsch & Hanst. ex Oerst.
• Columnea minor(Hook.) Hanst.
• Columnea minutifloraL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea miraB.D. Morley
• Columnea moestaPoepp. in Poepp. & Endl.
• Columnea mooreiC.V. Morton
• Columnea nariniana(Wiehler) L.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea nematolobaL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea nervosa(Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
• Columnea nicaraguensisOerst.
• Columnea oblongifoliaRusby
• Columnea ochroleuca(Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
• Columnea oerstedianaKlotzsch ex Oerst.
• Columnea orientandina(Wiehler) L.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea ornata(Wiehler) L.E. Skog & L.P. Kvist
• Columnea ovatifoliaL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea oxyphyllaHanst.
• Columnea panamensisC.V. Morton
• Columnea paraguensis M.Amaya & J.F.Sm.
• Columnea paramicola (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
• Columnea parvifloraC.V. Morton
• Columnea pectinataC.V. Morton
• Columnea pedunculataM. Amaya, L.E. Skog & L.P. Kvist
• Columnea pendens J.L.Clark, Tobar & J.F.Sm.
• Columnea pendula(Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
• Columnea perpulchraC.V. Morton
• Columnea peruvianaZahlbr.
• Columnea polyantha(Wiehler) L.E. Skog
• Columnea poortmannii(Wiehler) L.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea praetextaHanst.
• Columnea proctoriiStearn
• Columnea pubescens(Griseb.) Kuntze
• Columnea pulcherrimaC.V. Morton
• Columnea pulchra(Wiehler) L.E. Skog
• Columnea purpurataHanst.
• Columnea purpureovittata(Wiehler) B.D. Morley
• Columnea purpurimarginataL.P. Kvist & L.E. Skog
• Columnea purpusiiStandl.
• Columnea pygmaeaJ.L. Clark & J.F. Sm.
• Columnea quercetiOerst.
• Columnea queremalensisM. Amaya, L.E. Skog & L.P. Kvist
• Columnea rangelii M.Amaya & O.H.Marín
• Columnea raymondiiC.V. Morton
• Columnea repens(Hook.) Hanst.
• Columnea reticulataM. Amaya, L.E.Skog, C.E.González, & J.F.Sm.
• Columnea rileyi(Wiehler) J.F.Sm.
• Columnea ringensRegel
• Columnea robusta(Wiehler) L.E.Skog
• Columnea rosea(C.V. Morton) C.V.Morton
• Columnea rubraC.V. Morton
• Columnea rubriacuta(Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
• Columnea rubribracteataL.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
• Columnea rubricalyxL.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
• Columnea rubricaulisStandl.
• Columnea rubrocinctaC.V.Morton
• Columnea rutilansSwartz
• Columnea sanguinea(Pers.) Hanst.
• Columnea sanguinolenta(Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
• Columnea scandensL.
• Columnea schiedeanaSchlechtend.
• Columnea schimpffiiMansf.
• Columnea segregataB.D.Morley
• Columnea sericeo-villosaSuess.
• Columnea serrata(Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
• Columnea silvarumC.V.Morton
• Columnea skogiiAmaya M.
• Columnea spathulataMansf.
• Columnea stilesiana M.Amaya & L.P.Kvist
• Columnea stricta Rusby
• Columnea strigosaBenth.
• Columnea subcordataC.V.Morton
• Columnea suffruticosaJ.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
• Columnea sulcataL.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
• Columnea sulfureaDonn. Sm.
• Columnea tandapiana(Wiehler) L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
• Columnea tecta J.L.Clark & Clavijo
• Columnea tenella L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
• Columnea tenensis(Wiehler) B.D. Morley
• Columnea tenuisKlotzsch ex Oerst.
• Columnea tessmanniiMansf.
• Columnea tinctaGriseb.
• Columnea tomentulosaC.V. Morton
• Columnea trolliiMansf.
• Columnea tutunendana(Wiehler) L.E.Skog
• Columnea uleiMansf.
• Columnea ultraviolacea J.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
• Columnea urbanii Stearn
• Columnea verecundaC.V.Morton
• Columnea villosissima Mansf.
• Columnea vinaceaC.V.Morton
• Columnea vittata(Wiehler) L.E.Skog
• Columnea weberbaueri Mansf.
• Columnea xiphoideaJ.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
• Columnea zebranella Wiehler
• Columnea zebrinaRaymond

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