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Colourful carpet
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The bright-hued, dainty flowers of `episcia' lend charm to gardens
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WIDELY CALLED the carpet plant, the Episcia Cupreata - is a creeping, stoloniferous, mat-forming epiphytic or terrestrial evergreen perennial found in the tropical Mexico. It is prized both for its foliage and bright-hued dainty flowers. Common name for the genus, `carpet-plant' derives from the tendency of these plants to form a spreading mat by means of creeping stolons, which grow from leaf axils on a short, thick central stem. At the tip of each stolon is a cluster of leaves, which on coming into contact with the patting mixture will root into it, producing further central stems and stolons.
The leaves of episcia are roughly oval and hairy, with embossed or puckered surface, pale green with silver band and toothed edges. Flame-red flowers 6 cm long, grow from leaf axils either in singles or in small groups of three and five. Backed by a hairy calyx, each tubular corolla flares out into five rounded lobes that have finely toothed edges.
Since episcia grown as house plants comes from tropical regions it needs bright light for good growth, a few hours of morning sunlight and plenty of water. At every watering, apply a liquid fertilizer containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphate.
The best containers are shallow pots, pans or hanging baskets. A wide surface area also allows stolons to take root. Because leaf clusters at the tips of stolons constantly put down roots, there is never a lack of new plants. Simply cut through the stolon and pot the rooted plants and treat them exactly the same way as a mature episcia.
Episcia cupreata makes excellent ground covering.
CHITRA RADHAKRISHNAN
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