Canterbury Bells
Gloxinia perennis
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Kerala
- Flowering
- September-January
How to identify Canterbury Bells
Identify Canterbury Bells by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Bell-shaped flowers on tall stems (Canterbury bells).
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Opposite.
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous.
- Confirm flower colour: Purple.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Raceme.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: September-January.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Gloxinia perennis
- Genus
- Gloxinia
- Family
- Gesneriaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Runs wild from the gardens
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- Central and South America
- Found in India
- Kerala
- Flowering & fruiting
- September-January
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.“The leaves are opposite, glabrous and veined.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- GlabrousrecordedSmooth, hairless.“The leaves are opposite, glabrous and veined.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Characters marked “recorded” are for Canterbury Bells itself; the rest are typical of the Gesneriaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- PurplerecordedPurple or violet
- Flower arrangement
- RacemerecordedIndividual stalked flowers arranged along a central stem, opening from bottom to top.“Gloxinia perennis has a raceme-like flowering stem.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit type
- CapsulerecordedA dry fruit from a fused ovary that splits open at maturity to release seeds.“Fruits are ovoid to elliptical capsules, containing numerous minute seeds.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Canterbury Bells itself; the rest are typical of the Gesneriaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Canterbury Bells
Canterbury Bells (Gloxinia perennis) belongs to the Gesneriaceae family, where it grows as a herb. In India it has been recorded in Kerala. It grows in runs wild from the gardens. Flowering and fruiting run from September to January.
Gesneriaceae
Gesneria Family
Canterbury Bells belongs to the Gesneriaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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