Genus of about 100 species of mostly shrubs and herbs from Guatemala and Mexico. The name honours the 18th/19th century Swedish professor of Botany, Georg Franz Hoffman. The leaves are dark velvety green above and purple-red beneath and are about 1 foot long and up to 3 inches wide. The flowers are star-shaped, yellow with red spot, appearing in clusters along the stems. The flowers are not especially showy.