Thunbergia battiscombei (Scrambling Sky Flower)

Common Names

Common Names in English:

Bengal Clock Vine, Blue Boy, Blue Glory, Blue Sky Vine, Blue Trumpet Vine, Clock Vine, Scrambling Sky Flower

Description

Family Acanthaceae

The Acanthaceae are mostly herbs or shrubs comprising about 250 genera and 2,500 species, including twining forms. The leaves are simple , opposite and decussate; stipules are lacking. The flowers are bisexual , zygomorphic, and usually are associated with conspicuous , often brightly colored bracts. The calyx is usually deeply 4-5 lobed or sometimes is highly reduced with more numerous minute teeth. The corolla is sympetalous , usually 5-merous, mostly zygomorphic, and commonly 2 lipped. The androecium usually consists of 4 didynamous stamens or only 2 stamens adnate to the corolla tube or epigynous zone, alternate with the lobes . The gynoecium consists of a single compound pistil of 2 carpels, a single style , and a superior ovary with 2 locules, each with usually 2-10 axile ovules in one or two collateral vertical tiers . An annular nectary disk is usually found around the base of the ovary. The fruit is commonly an elastically dehiscent loculicidal capsule. The seed stalk or funiculus of each seed is modified into a hook shaped jaculator or retinaculum that functions in flinging out the seeds during dehiscence. -- Gerald Carr.

Physical Description

Flowers: Bloom Period: April, May, October, November. • Flower Color: blue-violet, dark blue, medium blue, purple

Size/Age/Growth

Size: 24-36" tall.

Biology

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Growth

Culture: Space 4-6' apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 6.1 • Maximum pH: 7.8

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 9b, 10a, 10b, 11. (map)

Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota () - Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- Kingdom: Plantae () - Haeckel, 1866 - Plants
  - Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae () - Cavalier-Smith, 1981
    - Phylum: Tracheophyta () - Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Vascular Plants
      - Subphylum: Euphyllophytina ()
        Infraphylum: Radiatopses () - Kenrick & Crane, 1997
        Class: Magnoliopsida () - Brongniart, 1843 - Dicotyledons
        Subclass: Lamiidae () - Takhtajan Ex Reveal, 1992
        Superorder: Lamianae () - Takhtajan, 1967
        Order: Scrophulariales () - Lindley, 1833
        Family: Acanthaceae () - Durande, 1782, Nom. Cons. - Acanthus Family
        Subfamily: Thunbergioideae ()
        Tribe: Thunbergieae ()
        Genus: Thunbergia () - Retz.
        Specific epithet: battiscombei - Turrill
        Botanical name: - Thunbergia battiscombei Turrill

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Thunbergia

There are approximately 220 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

Bibliography

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Judd, W.S., Campbell, C.S., Kellog, E.A. & Donoghue, M.J. (2002): Plant Systematics: a phylogenetic approach, Sinauer, Sunderland, Mass.

More Info

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Notes

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Identifiers

Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3436807
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 14836990
Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:56202-1
Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 606956