Aeschynanthus

Description

Aeschynanthus is a genus of about 150 species of evergreen subtropical plants in the family Gesneriaceae. They are usually trailing epiphytes with brightly colored flowers that are pollinated by sunbirds. The genus name comes from a contraction of aischuno (to be ashamed) and anthos (flower).The common name for some species is "lipstick plant", which comes from the appearance of the developing buds. A full list of the accepted species and their synonyms can be found in the Smithsonian Institution's World Checklist of Gesneriaceae. The genus contains a large variety of plants with differing features. Some have thick, waxy cuticles others have much softer leaves. Species such as A. speciosus are large where A. micranthus is much smaller and trailing. Several species are valued in temperate climates as houseplants, notably A. longicaulis, A. pulcher and A. radicans