Chirita


Chirita is an Old World genus of the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae, native to Indo-Malaysia, S. E. Asia, and southern China. In 2011, the species in the genus were reassigned to several genera, with the type species assigned to the genus Henckelia, so that Chirita became a synonym, no longer recognized.
About 150 species were recognized, about 100 of which are endemic to China. Most of the species have showy tubular flowers with five, usually rounded, petal lobes and are becoming increasingly popular as houseplants in temperate regions, much like their cousins the African violets.
Chirita comes from a Nepalese common name for a gentian.

Taxonomic changes

The genus Chirita is no longer recognized, with many species transferred to the genera Primulina and Microchirita, and several more to Henckelia. However, the genus name is still commonly found in the horticultural literature, especially for the most commonly cultivated species, Chirita sinensis.

General cultivation

Most can be grown in pots in warm, humid conditions and can be propagated from seed or by taking cuttings in the spring and summer.
Chirita sinensis and Chirita lavandulacea, now known as Microchirita lavandulacea have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.