Thunbergia
Thunbergia grandiflora
The Thunbergien ( Thunbergia ), sometimes also called sky flowers, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae ( Acanthaceae ). It contains about 90 to 300 species. The genus name honors the Swedish botanist and plant collector Carl Peter Thunberg. Some species and their varieties are ornamental plants for parks, gardens and conservatories. Some species, such as Thunbergia grandiflora, tend to naturalizing and occur in many tropical countries such as invasive plants.
Description
Thunbergia species grow as climbing, perennial herbaceous plants ( Black-eyed Susan ( Thunbergia alata ) is often cultivated as an annual plant ), rarely there are upright growing shrubs. The spiraling counterclockwise stems are square to cylindrical. The arranged opposite, stalked leaves are usually simple. The leaf margins are smooth. Stipules absent.
The flowers appear singly or in pairs in a terminal or pendent or racemose inflorescences and zymösen are different diverse. There are no bracts present. The two upright flower bracts are usually present, which may be fused with each other. The often large, hermaphroditic flowers are fünfzählig and more or less strongly zygomorphic. The most five (rarely 8-20 ) sepals are equal to very different lengths and fused only at its base or completely with each other; The cup can be reduced to a ring. The five petals are tube- to funnel-shaped fused with five unequal Corolla lobe. The color of the petals is yellow to orange, or white to blue. There are four fertile stamens present, which are mutually free or fused. It is a discus available. Two carpels with two ovules per ovary chamber have grown to a superior ovaries. The style ends in a simple cup-shaped or bilobed scar. Pollination is by insects ( entomophily ).
Usually two to four hemispherical to ovoid seeds ripen in zweifächerigen capsule fruits. In some species, the seeds have an aril. The distribution unit ( diaspore ) is the seed.
Distribution and systematics
The Thunbergia species are from tropical to subtropical regions of Africa, Madagascar, Asia and native to Australia.
The genus Thunbergia belongs to the subfamily Thunbergioideae.
Synonyms for Thunbergia L. are: Flemingia Roxb. ex Rottler, Hexacentris Nees.
Selected species
There are about 90 to 100 species in the genus Thunbergia:
- Thunbergia affinis S.Moore
- Black-eyed Susan ( Thunbergia alata Boii ex Sims )
- Thunbergia annua Nees
- Thunbergia angulata Hils. & Boii ex Hook.
- Thunbergia coccinea Wall. ex D.Don
- Thunbergia cordata Colla
- Thunbergia crispa Burkill
- Thunbergia cyanea Nees
- Thunbergia dregeana Nees
- Thunbergia elegans Borzi
- Auftrechte Thunbergia ( Thunbergia erecta ( Benth. ) T.Anderson )
- Thunbergia fragrans Roxb. ( Syn: Thunbergia convolvulifolia Baker, Flemingia grandiflora Roxb ex Rottler, Thunbergia volubilis pers.. )
- Thunbergia gibsonii S.Moore
- Thunbergia gracilis Benoist
- Large-flowered Thunbergia ( Thunbergia grandiflora Roxb, Syn. Thunbergia cordifolia Nees )
- Thunbergia huillensis S.Moore
- Thunbergia ikbaliana De Wild.
- Thunbergia lancifolia T.Anderson
- Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl.
- Thunbergia leucorhiza Benoist
- Thunbergia lutea T.Anderson
- Thunbergia mysorensis ( Wight ) T.Anderson
- Thunbergia natalensis Hook.
- Thunbergia neglecta Sond.
- Thunbergia petersiana Lindau
- Thunbergia reticulata A.Rich.
- Thunbergia salweenensis W.W.Sm.
- Thunbergia subalata Lindau
- Thunbergia vogeliana Benth.
- Thunbergia wightiana T.Anderson
No longer belong to the genus:
- Thunbergia hawtayneana Wall. → Meyenia hawtayneana ( wall. ) Nees
Pictures
Black-eyed Susan ( Thunbergia alata ):
Bloom and the two hairy, green bracts from behind.
Bloom and cover sheet cut: From right to left: front cover, yellowish- green calyx (not cut so from the outside), curved corolla tube, stamens and zweilappiger pen, orange Corolla lobe.
Other types:
Thunbergia gregorii
Thunbergia ikbaliana
Thunbergia laurifolia
Swell
- HR Coleman: Thunbergia. Described in the Western Australian Flora, 2008 (English )
- Kamal Akhtar Malik Abdul Ghafoor &: Thunbergia in the Flora of Pakistan: Online.
- Entry in GRIN ( Germplasm Resources Information Network) - Thunbergia.