Saturday, April 11, 2020

Melastoma/Princess Flower/Glory Bush/lasiandra/Purple glory tree


Scientific name:  Tibouchina semidecandra
  Syn :  Pleroma semidecandrum
Family: Melastomataceae

          Tibouchina semidecandra, commonly known as the Melastoma, princess flower, glory bush, purple glory tree or lasiandra.  The generic name is derived from a native name of the plants in Guiana. The name of the species is the combination of the Latin prefix “semi” means half and of the Greek words “deka” means ten and “anér, andrós” means man, male, with reference to the ten stamina divided in two groups of five, of different shape.

Origin and distribution:
                This plant is a native to Brazil and grown as a garden plant throughout the world.

 Species:
               Tibouchina comprises about 350 evergreen herb, shrub and tree species, many native to Brazil, but also ranging from southern Mexico and the West Indies to northern Argentina.  The most common species are,
                  Tibouchina granulosa 
                  Tibouchina herbacea
                  Tibouchina heteromalla 
                  Tibouchina laxa
                  Tibouchina longifolia
                  Tibouchina semidecandra 
                  Tibouchina urvilleana

Plant characters:

 Stem:
             T. semidecandra is a sprawling, evergreen shrub or small ornamental tree .Plant height ranges from 10 to 15 feet.  It can be trimmed to any size.

 Leaves:
           The dark green, velvety, four to six-inch-long leaves have several prominent longitudinal veins instead of the usual one, and are often edged in red. 

Flowers:
          The flowers are terminal solitary, or, one terminal and two lateral, with five slightly unequal petals, obovate, 3-6 cm long, of a colour varying from the purple pink to the violet, and ten stamina where the lower five are longer and the upper ones shorter.  T. semidecandra flowers through out the year.  Large, royal purple blossoms, flaring open to five inches, are held on terminal panicles above the foliage, creating a spectacular sight when in full bloom. 

 Fruits and seeds:
             The fruit is a globular capsule of about 1 cm of diameter, containing tiny seeds.


Climatic requirements:
            This is a tropical and sub-tropical species preferring moist climates. It is widely cultivated in warm regions. It can be damaged by cold and will not tolerate sub-freezing temperatures. Glory bush can be damaged by cold and will not tolerate sub-freezing temperatures.

 Sunlight:
            Plant in full sun for best color and maximum flowering. They can tolerate the shade but blooming will be diminished.

Soil:
            Loamy and sandy loam soils are suitable for growing this plant.  Plant in moist soils with good drainage.  It prefers slightly acidic soil.

 Water requirement:
            It requires soil rich of organic substance with good drainage, as it is much sensitive to water stagnation. Over watering may cause root rot.

 Propagation:
           It can be propagated by seed and by semi-woody cutting.

 Pest and diseases:
          Pests -  Nematodes, Scales, Spidermites, Mealybug.
          Diseases - Root rot (Fungus) due to over watering.

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