Sunset bells (Chrysothemis pulchella)

Sunset bells (Chrysothemis pulchella) is a species of plant in the Gesneriaceae, low shrubs that grow upright or sideways and branch to form colonies in shaded areas, large leaves and striking colored flowers are often used as exterior and interior ornamental plants.

C. pulchella has thick, juicy, bright green stems. Tubers at the base of the stem and sometimes in the axillary of the leaves. The tubers are inactive when the temperature is too low. At a certain temperature, the leaves and stems disappear and dormant tubers begin to re-shoot when the right weather arises.

The leaves are large, elongated oval, sharp edges, serrated margins, wavy surface, a bone in the center with sideways veins. The top surface has a dark green color with a brown and shiny touch, the bottom surface has a reddish brown color.

The flowers are tightly formed as a bunch of leaves, and have a very striking red-orange color. The petals are bright yellow with several stripes or red spots with narrow tubes and widened lobes. The petals only last a day or two, but the colored petals are durable and decorative.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Gesneriaceae
Subfamily: Gesnerioideae
Tribe: Gesnerieae
Subtribe: Columneinae
Genus: Chrysothemis
Species: Chrysothemis pulchella

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