Distinctive features of a tetraneme, tips for care when growing in rooms, steps for self-propagation, recommendations for combating pests and diseases, facts for the curious, species. Tetranema (Tetranema) belongs in the botanical classification to the Scrophulariaceae family. The native habitat of this representative of the flora falls on the lands of Mexico (southeastern regions with a tropical climate), Honduras and Guatemala. There are up to 10 varieties in this genus, but Tetranema mexicanum is very popular among indoor plant lovers.
This plant has its scientific name due to the fusion of the Latin words "tetra" and "nema", which translates as "four" and "staminate thread", respectively. It is clear that this name is precisely explained by the structure of the flowers, since they have two pairs of stamens.
All teteranems are perennials that take a herbaceous form of growth and have a rather short stem. The height of the plant rarely exceeds 15–30 cm with a total width of the bush of 15–22 cm. The leaf plates are quite close together, differ in an oval or narrowly obovate shape and sit on short petioles. There is some sharpening at the apex, and a narrowing also goes to the base. The leaves are crenate or with a vaguely serrated edge, the edges are slightly curved. The color of the leaves is rich dark emerald. The surface of the leaf plate is bare, in length it ranges from 10 to 13 cm.
When flowering, small-sized flower-bearing stems are drawn, originating in the leaf axils. The height of the peduncle does not exceed 12 cm. At the base, its color is reddish. On the peduncles, buds are formed, upon opening of which two-lipped flowers with a curved tube appear, painted in a rich purple-violet or violet-pink color scheme. The length of the funnel-shaped corolla of the flower is 1.7 cm. There are 5 parts in the calyx; it is divided into thin segments by deep dissection. Quite dense, umbrella-shaped inflorescences are collected from the flowers. The flowering process takes place from the beginning of summer to September.
The growth rate of the tetranema is quite high, since it can be fully formed in one season. There is no great difficulty in growing this representative of the flora and it can be recommended for cultivation to flower growers who do not have much experience in working with plants.
Caring for tetranium when grown indoors
- Lighting and location. This delicate blooming plant prefers bright light, but with a little shade. It is recommended to put the pot with tetranem on the windowsill of the east or west window, as in too bright sun the flowering process accelerates and the flowers will quickly fall off. If there is not enough light, then the buds may not even be laid, and if they do appear, they will not bloom, so they carry out additional lighting.
- Content temperature. Since the tetranema is an evergreen plant and grows year-round, the thermometer readings can vary between 16-25 units. If the temperature is lower and the humidity is high, then the plant can rot. This representative of the flora is excellent for growing in apartments heated in the winter with batteries or heaters.
- Air humidity when growing tetranema should be about 50%. But many growers say that this green "inhabitant" copes well with drier air. However, if the temperature rises, then it is worth increasing these indicators, but since the leaves may have pubescence in some varieties and flowers bloom, spraying is prohibited. In this case, the pot with the plant is placed on a deep tray, at the bottom of which a layer of pebbles or expanded clay is laid and a little water is poured. The main thing is that the pot does not touch her with its bottom.
- Watering. Tetranema will delight with growth and flowering when the soil in the pot is constantly moistened, therefore it is recommended to water the soil often and abundantly. They only make sure that drops of moisture do not fall on the flowers. If the liquid is glass in a stand under the flowerpot, then after 10-15 minutes it is drained, since stagnation will lead to the onset of putrefactive processes of the root system. If complete drying of the soil or its bay is allowed, then the plant will quickly die. Water is used only warm and well-settled. For this, distilled water is used, or collected rain or river water is used. You can melt snow or pour water from a well in winter. In any case, its temperature for irrigation should be 20-24 degrees.
- Fertilizers for tetranemes, they are introduced from mid-spring to September. Preparations with a high phosphorus content in the composition are used. The regularity of top dressing every 14 days. If the lighting is not bright or the temperature of the content is low, then the frequency of fertilization is reduced. In winter, the plant is not disturbed by top dressing.
- Tetranema transplant and suitable substrate. If the plant began to take up too much space and the root system does not fit in the pot, then it is time to change the flowerpot. But basically this procedure is performed in the spring. The pot should be with holes in the bottom so that the liquid that has not been absorbed by the roots flows freely out. Also, before the soil is poured, a drainage layer is placed on the bottom. It will help keep the soil moist for longer, but also protect the tetronema root system from waterlogging.
- General recommendations for care. When the peduncle fades, it is recommended to remove it immediately so that it does not start to rot, the same is done with damaged leaf plates. If you are buying a plant, then choose one that has a small number of open flowers, but many buds.
Loose and fertile soil with pH 6-7 is suitable for growing this plant. You can use a universal primer or make it yourself from:
- leafy soil (it is collected from under birches in forests or park zones with the capture of a small amount of rotted leaves), peat, coarse sand or perlite;
- sod, leafy soil, river sand humus or perlite (all parts are equal).
Steps for self-breeding tetranema indoors
Such a delicate plant can be obtained by sowing seeds, grafting or jigging daughter rosettes.
If a decision is made to carry out seed reproduction, then sowing is carried out in a loose fertile substrate (sand-peat mixture) and at the same time they try to maintain heat indicators in the range of 20-22 degrees. The seed pot is covered with a piece of glass or wrapped in a transparent plastic wrap. With this care, you will need to carry out daily ventilation and, if necessary, moisten the soil. After a pair of leaf plates develop on the seedlings, they can be cut into separate pots, the diameter of which is 7–8 cm.
The young tetranems obtained in this way will delight with flowering already in the same year, since the seedlings develop very quickly. It often happens that the seeds dropped from the capsule fruit begin to germinate in the same pot as the parent specimen. When the bush reaches a large size, then daughter formations appear next to it - sockets, which are recommended to be carefully separated during transplantation and immediately planted in containers prepared in advance with drainage and soil. Only immediately placing such a young plant in a brightly lit place is not worth it, it takes time for it to adapt to new conditions. As soon as signs of rooting are noticed - the leaves have straightened out or new ones have appeared, then you can put the tetranema on the windowsill to other flowers.
If you want to propagate the plant using a cutting, then a leaf with a petiole is separated from the bush, and it is placed in water or immediately planted in a peat-sandy substrate. The pot should be wrapped in a plastic bag or put on top of a glass jar - this will help create conditions for a mini-greenhouse with high humidity and temperature. Heat indicators during germination should be in the range of 20-24 degrees. With such rooting, it is important not to forget about systematic ventilation so that the condensate drops are removed from the shelter, and also monitored the condition of the soil - if it is dry, it is moistened with warm and soft water. When the cuttings are rooted, they can be transplanted into separate pots.
If the cuttings were in the water, then they survive when root shoots with a length of about 1 cm are formed on them. Then they are planted in prepared pots with fertile soil.
Diseases and pests of tetranema in indoor cultivation
If the conditions of detention are often violated, then the plant is attacked by harmful insects, such as:
- aphid - the stems and foliage begin to cover with small bugs of green color, exuding a sticky substance (pad);
- scabbard - manifested by the formation of brownish-brown plaques on the reverse side of the leaf plates, and also by the excrement of the pest (paddy);
- mealybug - a characteristic feature of this pest is that the back of the leaf and stems are covered with whitish cotton-like lumps and paddy.
It is the fall, if you do not take any steps, that will become the root cause of the appearance of a sooty fungus, for which this substance is a breeding ground. Then it will be difficult to save the plant.
If at least one of the signs of a pest is found, then immediately it is required to process the sheet plates. To begin with, you can use folk remedies so as not to shock the tetrane with chemicals. A tincture should be made based on tobacco, garlic gruel or onion peel. Florists also recommend a solution of grated laundry soap, essential oil dissolved in water, or an alcoholic pharmacy tincture of calendula.
Moisten a cotton sponge or a piece of gauze in the solution, gently wipe the leaves and stems. After a week, you can repeat the procedure to remove the newly formed pests and remove their eggs. If such non-chemical agents do not help, you will have to use insecticidal preparations - Aktar, Aktellik or Fitoverm.
When the substrate is often in an excessively moist state, the tetranema can be affected by powdery mildew - a bloom appears on the leaves, like a lime spray. At this time, pollination with sulfur or spraying with Fundazol is performed.
Tetranem facts for the curious
The plant is very similar to representatives of the flora from the Gesneriaceae family, for example, Napentes. Indeed, some of their features are similar, and also the conditions for growing in rooms are almost the same.
Types of tetranema
- Tetranema Mexican (Tetranema mexicanum). It is a herbaceous perennial, the stem of which is greatly shortened, and the leaves are quite close to each other. Each leaf blade is crowned with a short petiole. The leaf shape can be either oval or narrow with obovate outlines. At the top there is a sharpening, and towards the base the leaf gradually tapers. The surface of the foliage is bare, along the edge of the leaf there may be indistinct denticles, or it is crenate. Slightly curled edge. The flowering process will extend over all summer months until early autumn. The flower does not exceed 1.7 cm in length. Umbrella inflorescences with high density are usually collected from the buds. The flowering stem, which originates in the axils of the leaves, casts reddish tones at the base. The length of the peduncle is not more than 12 cm. The calyx of the flower is five-membered, with a dissection into thin parts. The corolla has a lilac color, but there are spots of a more intense purple-violet color scheme. The shape of the corolla is funnel-shaped; it itself is two-lipped with a bend on the tube.
- Tetranema roseum Along with the previous variety, a plant that is quite popular in indoor floriculture. Its height does not exceed 20 cm with an average diameter of a bush of about 15 cm. A rosette is formed from oblong-oval leaf plates. The outlines of the leafy part have a narrowing, smoothly converging into a petiole at the base. The length of the petiole is short. The color of the foliage is dark green, the edge is winding. During flowering, rather small flowers are formed, the corolla of which is painted in a rich lavender color. The shape of the flower is tubular; umbellate terminal inflorescences are collected from the buds.
- Tetranema gamboanum (Tetranema gamboanum). This representative of the flora was described by botanists M. N. Selum and B. E. Lama. It is a herbaceous perennial in height reaching 12 cm. The dimensions of the leaf plate are 14, 5x5, 11 cm. Their shape is elliptical to spatulate. There is a sharpening at the apex; at the base, the narrowing converges into a petiole. The edges are coarsely serrated, the surface is bare, but there may be some hairs along the midsection and central vein. When flowering, the diameter of the flower is 2 cm. The corolla calyx is 5-dimensional, divided almost to the base. The blades can be up to 35 mm in length. The color of the corolla takes on a scarlet tone, its shape is tubular, with a slight bend, the surface is bare. There are 4 filaments inside the flower. The fruit is represented by a capsule in length reaching 6-9 mm. Inside there are multiple seeds of an oblong shape, with parameters of 0, 6-0, 7x0, 45 mm. Their color varies from amber to almost black. The plant is an endemic species for Costa Rica, that is, it cannot be found in nature anywhere except in the indicated places. He prefers to settle at an altitude of about 550 m above sea level. But it happens that it is found in higher regions - 900-1000 m absolute height.
- Tetranema floribundum (Tetranema floribundum). Herbaceous plant with a perennial life cycle, reaching up to 0.2 m in height. It can often root in nodes. The parameters of the leaf plate are 21-23, 5x9-13 cm. The shape of the leaf is broadly elliptical to spatulate. The apex is sharply or shortly pointed; at the base there can also be either a sharp or smooth narrowing into a petiole. The edges are coarsely serrated to wavy serrated. The surface of the sheet is bare. Flowers in the inflorescence can be 14-30 units, the shape of the bracts is triangular, 15 mm long, ciliated along the edge (often only at the base). Pedicel length reaches 10 mm. The calyx of the corolla is five-dimensional, almost subdivided to the base. The length of the lobes is 23 mm, their outlines are broadly ovate, the edge is also cilia. Corolla is 2, 6–3, 5 cm long. Its color is reddish, tubular shape with a gradual bend and a narrow strip of flat yellow hairs (their length is not more than 1 mm). Rim blades with parameters 13x2, 5–5, 5 mm, lanceolate outlines. Inside the corolla there are 4 stamens that protrude outward. The fruits are capsules with a length of about 8 mm, their shape is ovoid. The plant is endemic to the lands of Costa Rica and grows at an altitude of about 1200-1600 meters above sea level, but due to human deforestation activities it is threatened with extinction.
