Streptocarpus - History

History

The following is an adapted excerpt from the 1906 text "Hortus Veitchii":

The first Streptocarpus to reach British gardens was Streptocarpus Rexii. This species was sent to Kew in 1824 by Mr Bowie, who was His Majesty’s collector in South Africa. The plant was found on the estate of Mr George Rex, after whom it was named. Following Streptocarpus rexii came Streptocarous polyantha from Natal. It was accidentally introduced to Kew in 1853 in material surrounding trunks of tree ferns sent from Natal by Captain Garden. Streptocarpus gardeni, also introduced in 1853 from the same country was named for Captain Garden, who sent seeds to Kew. In 1860, Mr Wilson Saunders sent a specimen to Kew, and it was eventually named Streptocarpus saundersii. In 1882, the caulescent species, Streptocarpus kirkii, was sent to Kew by Sir John Kirk. Streptocarpus caulescens, another caulescent species, followed in 1886. In 1887, “Streptocarpus parviflora” (probably Streptocarpus parviflorus, and referred to hereafter as such) was raised from seed brought in from Grahamstown by Mr Watson of Kew. A similar plant raised from seed by Mr Lynch of the Cambridge Botanic Gardens, was eventually named Streptocarpus lutea. The next plant to be introduced, Streptocarpus dunnii, played an important role in the production of “beautiful hybrids” of the day. In 1884, seed was collected in the mountains of the Transvaal gold fields, and sent to Kew by Mr E. G. Dunn of Claremont, Cape Town. It was a unifoliate species with “rose or salmon red colour”. It first flowered at Kew in 1886. In 1890, Streptocarpus galpini was introduced to Kew by Mr E Galpin, who found it on the “Bearded Man” peak that forms one of the boundaries of Swaziland. Streptocarpus wendlandii was sent in 1887 from Transvaal to Naples to “Messrs Damman” (i.e. two or more men with the last name ‘Damman’ – possibly nurserymen). It first appeared in England at Kew in seed contained in soil attached to tree ferns from South Africa. It flowered at Kew in 1895. A hybrid named “Streptocarpus x Dyeri” was raised at Kew by crossing Streptocarpus wendlandii with Streptocarpus dunii. "Streptocarpus faninii" (not currently listed, could this perhaps be referring to Streptocarpus fanniniae?), is apparently noteworthy because of its contribution to many of the “more beautiful hybrids”. Hortus Veitchii states that the first hybrid Streptocarpus recorded was “Streptocarpus x Greenii”, which was the progeny of S. saundersii and S. rexii. It was raised by Mr Charles Green, who was at the time the gardener to Sir George Mackay of Pendell Court. This specimen was apparently never widely grown and did not contribute to the “present garden race”.

The initial step towards the “beautiful forms” in cultivation at the time was taken by the Curator of Kew. He raised the hybrid “Streptocarpus x Kewensis” by crossing S. rexii and S. dunii. However, he had previously also raised S. parviflorus x S. rexii. A coloured plate of the progeny was published in 1886. In 1887, another Kew-raised hybrid flowered. It was a hybrid of S. parviflorus and S. dunnii, and received the name of S. x Watsoni, after Mr Watson who raised the seed. In 1887, two hybrids (S. x Kewensis and S. x Watsoni) were crossed with each other and their parents in all combinations. A host of progeny resulted with marked differences in colour, size, form and flower, and many were “decidedly attractive”. A selection of these were obtained by Heal, who crossed them with each other and with the red-flowered S. dunii. Many of these are now known as “Veitch’s Original Hybrids”. Breeding continued using these hybrids.