{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{Automatic taxobox |image = Calibrachoa flower red.jpg |taxon = Calibrachoa |authority = Cerv. |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = See text }} thumb|calibrachoa "million bells" in a hanging basket thumb|hybrid 'Superbells Strawberry Punch' '''''Calibrachoa''''' is a genus of plants in the Solanaceae (nightshade) family. They are evergreen short-lived perennials and subshrubs with a sprawling habit, with small petunia-type flowers. They are found across much the same region of South America as petunias, from southern Brazil across to Peru and Chile, inhabiting scrub and open grassland.<ref>{{cite book |title=RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants |year=2008 |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |location=United Kingdom |isbn=978-1405332965 |pages=1136}}</ref>
==Classification== ''Calibrachoa'' are closely related to ''Petunia''. However, on further examination it has been found that there are major differences in chromosomes, corresponding to external differences and fertilization factors that distinguished the two genera. ''Petchoa'' is a hybrid genus derived from crossing the genetically similar Calibrachoa and Petunia.<ref>[http://hsornamentals.blogspot.ca/2012/10/the-value-of-growing-petchoa-supercal.html The Value of Growing Petchoa SuperCal®. Ornamental News Oct 25 2012]</ref>
''Calibrachoa'' was named by Vicente Cervantes after Antonio de la Cal y Bracho,<ref>{{citation |url=http://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/ing/Libro.php?Libro=7020 |page=3 |volume=2 |title=Novorum vegetabilium descriptiones |year=1825 |publisher=Martin Rivera |author=Pablo de la Llave and Juan José Martínez de Lejarza y Alday |access-date=2015-09-13 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304210530/http://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/ing/Libro.php?Libro=7020 |url-status=dead }}</ref> a 19th-century Mexican botanist and pharmacologist.
==Description== ''Calibrachoa'' are small shrubs or herbaceous plants with woody shoot axis that grow annual or perennial. The leaves are ovate, elliptic, reverse ovate or linear; its edge is flat or rolled back. The inflorescences are monochasial and have oppositely standing, foliage-like bracts. The flowers are usually zygomorphic, the bud cover is reciprocal in most species, the only exception is ''Calibrachoa pygmaea'' in both cases. The calyx has five or ten ribs, it is usually lobed to about the middle, the lobes are usually narrowed towards the top. The crown is funnel-shaped, but in ''Calibrachoa pygmaea'' it is salver-shaped, bulbous and tapered towards the tip. The color of the crown can be purple, red, pink or whitish.<ref>Hitoshi Watanabe et al: Three Groups of Species in Petunia sensu Jussieu (Solanaceae) inferred from the intact seed morphology . In: American Journal of Botany, Vol. 86, Number 2, 1999, pp. 302-305.</ref>
The fruits are capsules. The seeds have a net-like surface. This structure is due to walls perpendicular to the seed surface, which are straight in all species.<ref>Claudia dos Reis, Maria the Graças Sajo and João Renato Stehmann: Leaf Structure and Taxonomy of Petunua and Calibrachoa (Solanaceae) . In: Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology, Vol. 45, Number 1, March 2002, pp. 59-66.</ref>
==Species== thumb|right|A ''Calibrachoa'' hybrid 28 species, including:<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=calibrachoa |title=The Plant List |accessdate=13 September 2015}}</ref> {{div col|colwidth=24em}} *''Calibrachoa caesia'' *''Calibrachoa calycina'' *''Calibrachoa dusenii'' *''Calibrachoa eglandulata'' *''Calibrachoa elegans'' *''Calibrachoa ericaefolia'' *''Calibrachoa excellens'' *''Calibrachoa hassleriana'' *''Calibrachoa heterophylla'' *''Calibrachoa linearis'' *''Calibrachoa parviflora'' *''Calibrachoa pygmaea'' *''Calibrachoa rupestris'' *''Calibrachoa sellowiana'' *''Calibrachoa spathulata'' *''Calibrachoa thymifolia'' {{div col end}}
==Cultivation== Some ''Calibrachoa'' are cultivated as ornamental plants, popularly known as "Million Bells". The plants can tolerate light frost and thrive in sun or semi-shade. Plant in a free-draining soil and water only when the soil is almost dry. They can be propagated from tip cuttings, but are frequently grown as half-hardy annuals. They are suitable for container gardening and hanging baskets and will attract hummingbirds.
===Cultivars=== The following cultivars are recipients of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit: *{{tdes|'''Cabaret Bright Red'''}}='Balcabrite'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/325067/Calibrachoa-Cabaret-Bright-Red-Balcabrite-(PBR)-(Cabaret-Series)/Details | title = ''Calibrachoa'' Cabaret Bright Red='Balcabrite' | publisher = RHS | accessdate = 12 April 2020}}</ref> *{{tdes|'''Calibasket Pink Doll'''}}='Wescapido'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/362301/Calibrachoa-Calibasket-Pink-Doll-Wescapido-(Calibasket-Series)/Details | title = Calibasket Pink Doll='Wescapido' | publisher = RHS | accessdate = 12 April 2020}}</ref> *{{tdes|'''Million Bells Trailing Topaz'''}}='Sunbelrikubu'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/310141/Calibrachoa-Million-Bells-Trailing-Topaz-Sunbelrikubu-(PBR)-(Million-Bells-Series)/Details | title = Million Bells Trailing Topaz='Sunbelrikubu' | publisher = RHS | accessdate = 12 April 2020}}</ref> *{{tdes|'''Minifamous Double Light Blue'''}}='Kleca16364'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/362257/Calibrachoa-MiniFamous-Double-Light-Blue-Kleca16364-(MiniFamous-Series)-(d)/Details | title = Minifamous Double Light Blue=Kleca16364 | publisher = RHS | accessdate = 12 April 2020}}</ref> * {{tdes|'''Minifamous Double PinkMania!'''}}='Kleca16356'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/361857/Calibrachoa-MiniFamous-Double-PinkMania!-Kleca16356-(MiniFamous-Series)-(d)/Details | title = ''Calibrachoa'' Minifamous Double PinkMania!='Kleca16356' | publisher = RHS | accessdate = 12 April 2020}}</ref> *{{tdes|'''Minifamous Double Pinktastic'''}}='Kleca18085'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/362346/Calibrachoa-MiniFamous-Double-PinkTastic-Kleca18085-(MiniFamous-Series)-(d)/Details | title = ''Calibrachoa'' Minifamous Double Pinktastic='Kleca18085' | publisher = RHS | accessdate = 12 April 2020}}</ref> *{{tdes|'''Rave Pink '16'''}}='Kleca16006'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/363356/Calibrachoa-Rave-Pink-16-Kleca16006-(Rave-Series)/Details | title = Rave Pink '16='Kleca16006' | publisher = RHS | accessdate = 12 April 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category|Calibrachoa}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20081005052538/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?1881 GRIN Species List]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q141632}}
Category:Petunioideae Category:Solanaceae genera