Gynura aurantiaca, called purple passion or velvet plant, is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae. It is native to Southeast Asia but grown in many other places as a house plant. In warm regions, it is frequently grown outdoors on patios and in gardens rather than inside buildings, and hence it has escaped into the wild in Africa, Australia, South America, Mesoamerica, Florida, and a few other places.Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution mapBerendsohn, W.G. & A.E. Araniva de González. 1989. Listado básico de la Flora Salvadorensis: Dicotyledonae, Sympetalae (pro parte): Labiatae, Bignoniaceae, Acanthaceae, Pedaliaceae, Martyniaceae, Gesneriaceae, Compositae. Cuscatlania 1(3): 290–1–290–13Nelson, C. H. 2008. Cat. Pl. Vasc. Honduras 1–1576. Secretaria de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente, Tegucigalpa
Description Gynura aurantiaca is an evergreen perennial growing to tall, the stems sometimes growing straight up but other times reclining against other objects, when stems can reach . As a house plant, the long trailing vines are appropriate for a hanging pot or similar arrangement. Leaves, stems, and bracts are dark green, covered with soft purple hairs that impart a velvety feeling to the plant. One plant can produce 1-5 flower heads, each on its own flower stalk. The flowers have a rather strong odour. Each head contains several yellow, orange, or red disc flowers but no ray flowers.Flora of North America, Gynura aurantiaca (Blume) de Candolle . 1838. Velvet plant
Etymology The Latin specific epithet aurantiaca means "orange", referring to the usual colour of the blooms.
Horticulture In cultivation in the UK this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
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