Salpiglossis sinuata



Salpiglossis sinuata, the painted tongue, scalloped tube tongue, velvet trumpet flower, palito amargo ( Spanish : bitter little stick - from the extreme bitterness of its leaves ) or panza de burro ( Spanish : donkey's paunch ), is a flowering plant belonging to the subfamily Cestroideae of the nightshade family Solanaceae, native to southern Chile.

Description
Salpiglossis sinuata is an annual or short-lived perennial herbaceous plant growing to 60 cm tall, rarely up to 1 m tall. The leaves are 4 – long, elliptic to lanceolate, with a wavy, lobed or toothed margin.

The flowers have a five-lobed funnel-shaped corolla, up to 7 cm long and 5.5 cm diameter, each lobe with a notched apex, velvety in texture, either violet or orange, and have contrasting darker stripes along each petal.

Cultivation and uses
Of the two species in its genus, Salpiglossis sinuata is the more commonly grown as an ornamental plant for gardens. It was introduced to the northern hemisphere in the 1820s.

A number of cultivars have been selected for different flower colours. It is grown in full sunlight.