Chaenostoma cordatum (bacopa)

Japanese name: バコパ
Scientific name: Chaenostoma cordatum

[Overview]
A short-lived evergreen perennial 7–15 cm tall.
Some plants reach 30 cm in height.
The stems are densely hairy and soft, and spread along the ground.
The leaves are simple and opposite, small, ovate-cordate, and hairy on both sides.
The leaf margins are serrate.
The flowers are solitary in the leaf axils, short funnel-shaped, up to 2.5 cm across, and 5-lobed, with the lobes opening flat.
The flowers are usually white, but pink and lavender forms also exist, and the throat is yellow to orange.
There are 4 stamens, 2 of which are long, and the anthers are yellow.
The calyx is small, 5-lobed, and hairy.
The fruit is a capsule, and the seeds are brown.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by division, or by stem cuttings.
A well-drained, airy site that is sunny from autumn to spring and in partial shade in summer is suitable.
It can overwinter outdoors in regions without frost, but it is safer to keep it in a sunny spot indoors in winter.
It will flower even in winter if the temperature is high enough.
It dislikes heat and humidity, so take care not to overwater. For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries from spring to autumn and keep them somewhat dry in winter; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
In spring and autumn, apply slow-release fertilizer placed on the soil, and make sure no fertilizer remains in midsummer.
Before summer, cut the whole plant back so that some leaves remain on each branch, which makes it easier to get through the summer.
Pests and diseases include greenhouse whitefly and aphids.

[Notes]
It is also called Stella, from the former genus name Sutera.

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