Agalmila

The genus name is created from two Greek words Greek. αγαλμα - glory, adornment, and Greek. ΰλη is a forest, which in aggregate can be translated as “decoration of the forest”, which is quite true due to the bright red and orange colors of the plant.

Ground shrubs or climbing epiphytic perennials of different habit. Stems rooted in nodes. The leaves are opposite, green, small scale-like or large town-like - there is a strong anisophyllia of the leaves , a wide variety of their shapes and hairiness. Inflorescences are axillary, on long or short peduncles , of 15-30 flowers , of a cimic type: umbrella or brush. Sepals are fused, less often separate, tubular. The corolla is tubular, curved, bell-shaped, with a 5-lobed limb, the limb segments are round, the color is yellow, orange, red with dark stripes or without them, with hairy patches in the yellow throat. Stamens 4, long fused, filaments thin, flat, anthers oblong, open along longitudinal grooves, protrude from the corolla. Double stigma pestle. Ovary ovoid. The fruit is an elongated cylindrical box , opens lengthwise into two parts, each of which consists of another 4. Seeds with filiform outgrowths at both ends. The size, shape and color of the flowers indicate pollination by birds.

Philippines , Moluccas , New Guinea . It grows mainly as an epiphyte on tall tree trunks in moist mountain forests up to 1000 m above sea level.

Valuable ornamental plant. Tall species are suitable for cultivation in spacious rooms, in winter gardens and greenhouses . Small species are grown as ampelous in hanging flower pots .

Agricultural Engineering

Landing. Planted in a loose, water- and breathable substrate for indoor plants, with the addition of peat and expanded clay ; at the bottom of the pot, drainage is made from a layer of expanded clay and shards.

Care. The plant is photophilous, but does not tolerate direct sunlight. During the growth period, abundant watering is necessary, to prevent stagnation of water in the pan. Prefers high humidity, spray in summer with warm water. The optimum temperature in summer is 22-24 ° C, in winter - 17-18 ° C. Regular top dressing during the growth period, from March to October - once every 2 weeks with fertilizer for flowering plants, 1/2 of the recommended dose on the package. From November to February, a period of rest sets in - you need to lower the temperature and reduce watering.

Transfer. In February-March, an earthen lump is carefully knocked out of the pot, the old substrate is removed and transplanted into fresh; trim if necessary. The plant looks good for the first 4 years, then its lower parts of the stems are exposed, and it is better to replace it with a new one, grown from cuttings.

Reproduction. Apical stem cuttings with 6-8 internodes in late spring, by rooting in a greenhouse in a light substrate at 22-25 ° C.

According to the database of The Plant List (2013), the genus includes 96 species ^[2] .

• All about indoor violets. / Van der Neer, - SPb .: S3KEO Crystal LLC, Moscow: Onyx, 2007

• Agalmila: photo gallery
• Agalmila in A. Weber & LE Skog 2007, Genera of Gesneriaceae .
• World Checklist of Gesneriaceae