[Smart Farmers] A friend who suffers is not a friend of mine: The elf who finds joy in suffering - Gesneria

What is Gesneria?

Gesneriaceae is the abbreviation of plants in the Gesneriaceae family. There are about 160 genera and more than 3,800 species in the world, which is a veritable large family. According to the latest molecular systematics research, it can be divided into three subfamilies, namely Gesneriaceae, Gloxiniaceae, and Glechoideae.

Gesneriaceae plants are mainly distributed in tropical and temperate regions of eastern and southern Asia, Africa, southern Europe, Oceania, South America and Mexico. China is the origin center of Gesneriaceae plants and also one of the main distribution areas, with rich wild germplasm resources.

All plants of this family distributed in my country belong to the subfamily Gesnerioideae, and are widely distributed from southern Tibet, Yunnan, southern China to Hebei and southwestern Liaoning. 28 genera and 375 species are endemic to China. Primulina, in particular, is distributed mainly in southwest my country, and has high ornamental value, and is known as the "violet of the East".

Figure 1. Primula primula in “Spring of Beilin”

(Photo by Li Bo)

Figure 2 “Four Seasons” Primulina

(Photo by Luo Le)

How to grow Gesneriaceae?

Among the rich wild Gesneriaceae plant resources in my country, many are traditional folk herbal medicines with a long history of medicinal use. Many Gesneriaceae medicinal plants are still used as traditional ethnic medicines and are even written into the pharmacopoeia, such as Gesneria volvacea, Gesneria argentea, Gesneria foetida, Gesneria serrata, and Ox-ear Gesneriaceae.

In some provinces in southwestern my country, ethnic minorities widely use it to treat various inflammations, coughs, asthma, boils, rheumatism, bruises, etc., with remarkable results.

As an ornamental plant, gesneriaceae has many applications, such as in gardens or as potted flowers.

The native habitat of Gesneriaceae is mostly located by streams in valleys, on rocks, in forests on hillsides, and in the shade and wet places on stone walls, so they are often called elves on stone walls or cave entrances. Many Gesneriaceae plants are very suitable for indoor cultivation in low-light environments.

The cultivation method of gesneriaceae is also relatively simple:

First of all, the soil conditions. Gesneriaceae is suitable for growing in soil with good drainage and air permeability. When cultivating, nutrient soil can be used as the cultivation substrate, mixed with perlite and vermiculite;

The second is the light conditions. Gesneriaceae is mostly shade-tolerant, and it is for this reason that it is very suitable for indoor potted flowers.

Finally, it’s about water. Gesneriaceae is suitable for growing in a humid environment, but some species are also relatively drought-resistant. In daily maintenance, you can water it once every week to ensure that the soil is in a slightly moist growth state.

In general, as a low-energy and low-maintenance potted flower, gesneriaceae has a large market development space and application potential.

Figure 3 Medicinal Primula (Photo by Li Bo)

Figure 4: The hanging stone moss growing in its native habitat (Photo by Luo Le)

Figure 5 Primula growing in a greenhouse (Photo by Ran Haoran)

What is the development status of Gesneriaceae?

Many Gesneriaceae plants have short and compact plants, bright and exotic flowers with rich and varied colors. They have a long history of application in my country. They are not only used for medicinal purposes, but can also be used as potted flowers. They have extremely high ornamental value and prospects for application in garden development.

Some European and American countries have long recognized the development and application value of Gesneriaceae plants and have successfully developed a large number of excellent horticultural varieties such as African violets and Gloxinia. However, in addition to the mature commercial production of these bulk potted flowers, there are still a large number of species to be developed.

Twenty years ago, the development of gesneriaceae in my country was not optimistic. However, in recent years, many scientific research institutes in China have continuously made new achievements in gesneriaceae breeding, and Beijing Forestry University is one of them.

Beijing Forestry University is one of the earliest institutions in China to conduct systematic investigation and evaluation of Gesneriaceae and to introduce and breed Gesneriaceae. The team of Professors Zhang Qixiang and Luo Le from the university found that after the plants of the genus Primulina of the Gesneriaceae family were introduced from resources in the southwest and south China and brought back to the Beijing greenhouse, their flowering period, flower shape and plant shape all showed remarkable performance, making them very suitable for viewing as potted flowers.

Through more than ten years of hard work and cultivation, the team has successively obtained international registrations for 14 new varieties of Primulina since 2019. This is not only a recognition of the team's scientific research achievements over the years, but also an injection of fresh blood into new domestic flower varieties.

In addition, institutions such as the Guangxi Institute of Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Xianhu Botanical Garden, and Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences have also carried out a lot of work on the research of Gesneriaceae plants. In recent years, the breeding of Gesneriaceae has made great progress across the country, but more efforts are needed in promotion and demonstration.

Figure 6 "Purple Sundae" Primrose (Photo by Li Bo)

Figure 7 “Morning Star” heralds spring (Photo by Li Bo)

What is the future of gesneria?

Although China has a large amount of gesneriaceae resources, it still has a long way to go to achieve complete commercialization.

The research results that my country has achieved so far have provided a certain foundation for the future development of Gesneria, and are of great significance for the research and development of new flower varieties with independent intellectual property rights in my country. Taking the breeding of Primula as an example, if it wants to become a qualified potted flower, in addition to better ornamental properties, scientific researchers must continue to work hard in cultivation technology, breeding technology and other aspects.

Gardening enthusiasts who like Gesneriaceae plants are affectionately called "Bitter Friends". This is a circle of people who find joy in "bitterness". The so-called "Bitter Friends" are not actually bitter. What they get from Gesneriaceae is the feeling of beauty. I hope that in the near future, domestic Gesneriaceae can really enter thousands of households, and more unique and beautiful Gesneriaceae can shine.

Scientific review: Hu Dongmei, Senior Laboratory Technician, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University

Author: Liu Yanqing, Master's student of College of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University

Li Bo, Master's student at College of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University

Luo Le Professor, College of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University Doctoral Supervisor

Editor: Xie Yun and Wu Yuetong