This relative of the African violet is flowering in the Mountains House.
The African violet family (Gesneriaceae) is mainly tropical, though some species such as Ramonda myconi occur in temperate mountainous zones. Petrocosmea is limited in its distribution to south west China, Myanmar, Thailand and north east India, and most of the 40 species described occur at high altitudes on shaded, rocky crags, or in wet, mossy forests. Similarly to the African violets, they form compact rosettes of hairy basal leaves, which can make them challenging in cultivation, requiring free-draining compost, protection from the wet, though they tolerate sub-zero temperatures. The tubular, two-lipped flowers are held in a cyme, and in P. grandiflora the pale blue flowers are larger than those of many other species, hence the specific name grandiflora.