Chaenostoma cordatum

Chaenostoma cordatum, also known as sutera cordata, bacopa cordata, sutera diffusus, or bacopa (not the genus Bacopa), is one of 52 species in the genus Chaenostoma (Scrophulariaceae), and is native to South Africa.[1]

Chaenostoma cordatum
Chaenostoma cordatum 'Snowflake'
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Chaenostoma
Species:
C. cordatum
Binomial name
Chaenostoma cordatum
(Thunb.) Benth.
Synonyms

The bacopa cabana, or The Pikmin Flower, was bred into existence within a promotion for Nintendo's video game Pikmin (2001).[2]

Taxonomy

Chaenostoma cordatum was first named in 1835 by Sir William Jackson Hooker.[3] The basionym sutera cordata originated from Otto Kuntze in 1891.[4]

Distribution and habitat

The chaenostoma cordatum lives predominately on the southern coast of South Africa,[5] where it had originated.[1]

Cultivation
Chaenostoma cordatum in pot

The chaenostoma cordatum is a short-lived evergreen perennial for zones 9-11. It grows annually in colder climates, but requires full sun to flower profusely.[6] Other cultivars include Bridal Showers, Snowflake, Giant Snowflake, and Pink Domino.

The Pikmin Flower
Mature Pikmin can sprout the flower from their heads.

Sutera cordata was bred into the bacopa cabana in a collaboration between Nintendo of America and Syngenta Seed's Flower Brand, in a marketing campaign for the 2001 video game Pikmin. Nintendo named it The Pikmin Flower because it resembles the flowers that bloom from the heads of fully matured Pikmin species in the video games. Peter Main, then executive vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo of America, said that the flower "demonstrates that at the core of Nintendo is creativity". In April 2002, the flower was released to the public.[2][7]

See also

References
  1. "Gardening: Snowstorm bacopa is a low-maintenance plant". Redlands Daily Facts. 2016-06-27. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  2. Ahmed, Shahed (2006-05-17). "Pikmin becomes a flower". GameSpot. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  3. Hooker, William Jackson (1835). Companion to the Botanical magazine :being a journal, containing such interesting botanical information as does not come within the prescribed limits of the magazine; with occasional figures. Vol. 1 (1st ed.). p. 377.
  4. Kuntze, Otto (1981). Revisio generum plantarum:vascularium omnium atque cellularium multarum secundum leges nomenclaturae internationales cum enumeratione plantarum exoticarum in itinere mundi collectarum ... Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). p. 467.
  5. "African Plant Database: Sutera cordata (Thunb.) Kuntze". African Plant Database.
  6. Loughrey, Janet. "Bacopa Plant - How to Grow Sutera Cordata - Garden Design". GardenDesign.com. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  7. IGN Staff (2001-12-12). "Meet the Pikmin Flower". IGN. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
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