Thunbergia mysorensis (Wight) T.Anderson

Flora Zambesiaca Acanthaceae (part 2) by Iain Darbyshire, Kaj Vollesen and Ensermu Kelbessa

Morphology General Habit

Vigorous herbaceous twiner to 6 m, often totally covering walls or roofs; cystoliths absent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves ovate, to 15 cm long, 3-veined from base, irregularly dentate, apex acuminate to cuspidate, base truncate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in pendulous racemoid cymes to 50 cm long; bracts minute, each flower clasped by 2 large purplish brown ovate bracteoles to 2.5 cm long, partly fused along lower edge, no large urn-shaped glands.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx an undulate glabrous rim.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla yellow outside, deeper yellow inside and lower lip maroon distally, tube to 3 cm long, campanulate, upper lip of 2 erect and lower of 3 deflexed lobes to 3 cm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 4, held under upper lip, anthers bithecous, thecae densely pubescent, with 5 mm long basal spurs.

Distribution

Native of India. Occasionally cultivated in Africa.

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Morphology General Habit

Creeper.

Distribution

Cultivated in Colombia.

Ecology

Alt. 1300 - 2100 m.

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1300–2100 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Boyacá, Quindío.

Habit

Climbing.

Ecology

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

Kew Species Profiles

General Description

The clock vine can reach up to 10 metres in length with hanging stems of stunning yellow and reddish-brown flowers.

Thunbergia mysorensis is a woody-stemmed, evergreen, climbing plant native to India. The genus name Thunbergia commemorates the Swedish physician and botanist, Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828), a protégé of Linnaeus. The species name 'mysorensis' refers to the city of Mysore in southern India. It is an attractive plant for winter and spring flowering in a conservatory or warm greenhouse.

Species Profile

Geography and distribution

This species is native to southern India, from the Nilgiri Mountains (often referred to as the Nilgiri Hills) to Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin), at elevations reaching 900 m. It is commonly cultivated throughout India, and outdoors elsewhere in warm temperate and tropical areas.

Description

Overview: This is a vigorous, winter-flowering climber, with slender twining stems up to 10 m long.

Leaves:  It has glossy, green leaves, each around 15 cm long.

Flowers: The yellow and reddish-brown flowers hang in long racemes (an unbranched, elongated stem with stalked flowers), which can measure up to 90 cm in length. Each flower measures about 5 cm and has a gaping yellow throat and reflexed (turned back) dark red lobes.

In the wild, it is pollinated by sunbirds.

Uses

Thunbergia mysorensis is widely cultivated as an ornamental in the tropics, as well as in conservatories and greenhouses elsewhere. It has received an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Cultivation

As the clock vine comes from a tropical monsoon climate, it requires warm temperatures and ample water in summer, and a dry, cooler winter to flower freely.

This species at Kew

The clock vine can be seen in the Palm House and in the tropical section of the Princess of Wales Conservatory.

Pressed and dried, and alcohol-preserved specimens of Thunbergia mysorensis are held in Kew's Herbarium, where they are available to researchers from around the world, by appointment.

The details of some of these specimens, including images, can be seen online in the Herbarium Catalogue.

Distribution

India

Ecology

On trees in tropical montane forests.

Conservation

Not evaluated according to IUCN Red List criteria.

Hazards

None known.

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

cabaret, calavera, carnaval, cortina africana, cortina china, zapatico

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: threatened. Confidence: confident

Use Environmental

Environmental uses.

Use

Ornamental.