Petunia

Overview

Petunia x atkinsiana is a plant of hybrid origin between the White Petunia (Petunia axillaris (Lamarck) Britton, Sterns & Poggenburg) and the Violet Petunia (Petunia integrifolia (Hooker) Schinz & Thellung), two species native to South America. The edible flowers are eaten locally. A very common plant in flower gardens for its showy ornamental flower.

Vernacular Names

 Pétunia (French), Petunie (German).

Agroecology

Petunia can be grown as a summer annual in areas with cold winters, or as a perennial in warmer areas. Requires a sunny position. Grows and flowers best in a light, well-drained soil. Rich soils and shade encourage the plant to produce lush foliage, but at the expense of flowering. Plant in full sun to partial shade and light and well-drained soils. While it can survive in heavy shade, the blooms will suffer. This plant has moderate drought tolerance, is seldom damaged by deer and does excellent as a bedding plant and in containers.  It can tolerate poor soils as long as they have good drainage.

Morphology

• Root - taproot system.
• Stem - green, branches often decumbent, glandular-hairy.
• Leaves - fragrant, opposite, alternate,broadly ovate to elliptical, 2.5–6 cm long, 1.5–4.5 cm wide, apex acute to rounded; lower leaves alternate, petiolate; upper leaves sessile, decreasing in size on flowering stems.
• Flower - fragrant, pedicels 2–4 cm long. Calyx 10–20 mm long; lobes narrowly elliptical to subfoliaceous. Corolla white, pink or purple, sometimes multicoloured; tube funnel-shaped, slightly inflated, 3–4(-6) cm long; limb rotate to broad-stellate, 4–10 cm diameter, single or double; lobes rounded. Anthers are yellow. Stamens inserted in the lower half of corolla tube, filaments 15–18 mm long; anthers 2–3 mm long. Style 25–30 mm long, erect.
• Fruit - capsule 10–15 mm long, ellipsoidal, not or shortly exceeded by calyx lobes.
• Seed - small 

Cultivation

• Generative propagation is by seed - surface sow in containers, just firming the seed into the soil, and do not allow to dry out. The seed germinates best at a temperature of 15-20 °C. Prick out the seedlings when large enough to handle and plant out when 10 cm tall.
• Vegetative propagation is by softwood cuttings.

Chemical Constituents

No found data on this. Need further research.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

Used for abdominal dropsy, abdominal distention and constipation, ascariasis.