ACHIMENES, a genus of plants (family Gesneraceae, to which belong also Gloxinia and Streptocarpus), natives of tropical America, and well known in cultivation as stove or warm green house plants. They are herbaceous perennials, generally with hairy serrated leaves and handsome flowers. The corolla is tubu lar with a spreading limb, and varies widely in colour, being white, yellow, orange, crimson, scarlet, blue or purple.