Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Andean, Caribbean. Elevation range: 350–2600 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Cesar, Cundinamarca, La Guajira, Meta, Quindío, Santander, Valle del Cauca.

Habit

Climbing.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.

Acanthaceae, H. Heine. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit

A softly pubescent herbaceous twiner

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Pale to dark yellow flowers (sometimes white) usually red or dark purple in the throat.

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Cultivada y naturalizada en Colombia; Alt. 350 - 2600 m.; Andes, Llanura del Caribe, Valle del Cauca.

Morphology General Habit

Trepadora

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution

Widespread in tropical and southern Africa and introduced to many other tropical parts of the world, as well as popular as a pot-plant (Black-eyed Susan).

Morphology General Habit

Twining perennial herb, sometimes with woody basal parts, up to 3 m long or more; stems pilose

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades triangular to ovate, 1–7 x 0.8–5 cm, cordate, truncate or hastate at the base, acute to obtuse at the apex, with sinuate-dentate to entire margin, pubescent; petiole 4–50 mm long, narrowly to broadly winged

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary in leaf-axils; pedicels 3–5 cm long; bracteoles ovate, 18–40 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx with 10–12 narrow unequal c. 4–5 mm long lobes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla yellow to orange with dark throat; tube 20–50 mm long; lobes 15–25 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

Anthers ciliate in lower part, the upper cell of the upper stamens with a basal awn, both cells of the lower stamens with awns

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma

Stigma 2-lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule pubescent or glabrous, c. 20–25 mm long.

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

amor de madre, amor escondido, anteojo de poeta, bejuco de perdiz, colombiana, juanita, ojitos, ojo de poeta, susana, susana amarilla, susanita, susanita amarilla

Acanthaceae (part 1), Kaj Vollesen, Flora of Tropical East Africa, 2008

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial trailing or twining herb, when perennial with single or several stems from woody rootstock; stems to 5 m long, yellowish to whitish sparsely sericeous or sericeous-pubescent to pilose or tomentose.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with petiole 0.8–7(–9.5) cm long, with a flat (rarely undulate) wing which on some or all leaves widens distinctly upwards or is parallel-sided, sometimes very narrow or absent on some (more rarely all) leaves, indumentum as stems; lamina triangular or triangular-ovate, largest 2–10(–12) × 1.2–7(–8.5) cm, apex acute or subacute, apiculate, base subcordate to deeply cordate (rarely truncate) with hastate or rounded basal lobes, margin entire to coarsely dentate; sericeous-pubescent or sparsely so tomentose, below densest along veins, above uniformly.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers axillary, solitary (rarely paired or in 3’s); pedicels 2–9.5(–11) cm long, indumentum as stems; bracteoles green, sometimes with purple venation or mottled with purple, ovate to oblong, (1–)1.4–3.5 × 0.5–1.6(–2.1) cm, acute to rounded, truncate to cordate and distinctly 4-angular at base, whitish to yellowish pubescent or sericeous-pubescent or sparsely so, densest on veins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx puberulous and with scattered to dense stalked capitate glands, rim 0.5–2 mm high, segments linear, 1–5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla pale yellow to brillant orange or brick red (rarely white) with deep purple to almost black throat; cylindric tube 3–6 mm long; throat straight or slightly curved, campanulate or narrowly so, (1.2–)1.5–2.8(–3.2) cm long and 0.7–1.8 cm in diameter apically; lobes 0.8–2 × 1–2.5 cm, broadly emarginate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments

Filaments 2–7 and 4–9 mm long; anthers 3–5 mm long, indistinctly apiculate, densely bearded at base and along 2/3 of one side; spurs 1–1.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule densely puberulous, depressed globose, 6–9 × 7–12 mm, beak 8–17(–19) mm long, constricted at base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed 4–6 mm in diameter, dark brown, echinate-lamellate or reticulate.

Figures

Fig. 8.

Distribution

Range: Kenya. Range: Uganda. Range: Tanzania. Range: Throughout tropical Africa, but especially common in the east, also in Madagascar, India and SE Asia and introduced in tropical America Range: Z P Flora districts: U1 U 2, U 3, U 4; K1 K 2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 Range: Throughout tropical Africa, but especially common in the east, also in Madagascar, India and SE Asia and introduced in tropical America

Ecology

A wide range of habitats from wet forest (usually on margins) to dry Acacia-Commiphora bushland, often in disturbed places and secondary vegetation; near sea level to 2700 m

Note

In northern Tanzania and central, eastern and northern Kenya dry country plants (e.g. Richards 27208) become very hairy with narrow or absent petiole wings and shallowly cordate leaves. The typical form from Zanzibar, much of Tanzania, western Kenya and Uganda is quite uniform. Certain forms can be distinct locally, but there are always intermediate specimens to other forms, and a lot of the variation seems correlated to the wide range of habitats occupied by this species. This widespread species contains a number of forms which I have found impossible to separate into any meaningful taxa. An upland forest form (e.g. Greenway 12157) from northern Tanzania and central Kenya has large leaves, unwinged petioles and large flowers, but large flowered specimens also occur in typical material.