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Bignoniaceae

(Family)

Overview

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Trees, shrubs, or vines, climbers rarely herbs. Leaves opposite, alternate, or whorled, simple or pinnately compound, rarely palmately compound, without stipules, climbers usually with tendrils modified sometimes into hooks or suckers. Inflorescences cymose, paniculate, or racemose, terminal or axillary, rarely flowers borne on old stems; bracts and bractlets present, sometimes deciduous. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, usually large. Calyx campanulate or tubular, truncate, 2-5-dentate, or glandular subulate-dentate. Corolla campanulate or funnelform, usually bilabiate; lobes 5, imbricate or valvate. Fertile stamens 4 (didynamous) and staminode 1, or 2 and staminodes 3, rarely all 5 stamens fertile. Disc fleshy. Ovary superior, 2-locular, rarely 1- or 4-locular; placentation axile or parietal; ovules numerous. Style filiform; stigma 2-lobed. Capsule dehiscing loculicidally or septicidally, rarely fruit fleshy and indehiscent. Seeds numerous, usually winged or with tufts of hairs at both ends; endosperm absent.

About 116-120 genera and 650-750 species: mostly in tropical and subtropical regions; 12 genera and 35 species (21 endemic) in China.

Plants of the Bignoniaceae usually produce large flowers, and many species are widely cultivated in China as ornamentals. These include Arrabidaea magnifica Sprague ex Steenis, Campsis radicans (Linnaeus) Seemann, Catalpa speciosa (Warder ex Barney) Engelmann, Clytostoma callistegioides (Chamisso) Bureau & Schumann, Crescentia alata Kunth, C. cujete Linnaeus, Jacaranda cuspidifolia Martius, J. mimosifolia D. Don, Kigelia africana (Lamarck) Bentham, Macfadyena unguis-cati (Linnaeus) A. H. Gentry, Pandorea jasminoides (Linnaeus) Schumann, Parmetiera cerifera Seemann, Podranea ricasoliana (Tanfani) Sprague, Pyrostegia venusta (Ker-Gawler) Miers, Spathodea campanulata Beauvois, Stenolobium stans (Linnaeus) Seemann, Tabebuia chrysantha (Jacquin) G. Nicholson, T. rosea (Bertoloni) de Candolle, and Tecomaria capensis (Thunberg) Spach.[1]

Photos

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Taxonomy

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The Family Bignoniaceae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Adenocalymma

[more]

Adenocalymna

Adenocalymna is a genus of plants in the family . This New World genus of lianas contains approximately 50 species. [more]

Alsocydia

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Amphicome

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Amphilophium

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Amphitecna

Amphitecna is a genus of in family Bignoniaceae. [more]

Anemopaegma

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Anomoctenium

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Aplolophium

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Argylia

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Arrabidaea

[more]

Arthrophyllum

Arthrophyllum is a of plant of family Araliaceae comprising 30 accepted species. [more]

Astianthus

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Barnettia

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Batocydia

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Bayonia

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Bignonia

Bignonia is a genus of plants in the family. [more]

Blepharitheca

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Bothriopodium

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Bulweria

Bulweria is a of seabirds in the family Procellariidae. The genus has two living species, Bulwer's Petrel (B. bulwerii) and Jouanin's Petrel (B. fallax). A third species, the Small St Helena Petrel, (Bulweria bifax) became extinct in the early 16th century; it is known only from skeletal remains. [more]

Calampelis

Eccremocarpus ( Calampelis D.Don) is a genus of five species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to western South America in Chile, western Argentina, and Peru. The species are evergreen semi-woody vines growing to 1-7 m tall. [more]

Callichlamys

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Calosanthes

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Campsidium

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Campsis

Vines woody, deciduous, climbing by aerial roots. Leaves opposite, 1-pinnately compound; leaflets serrate. Inflorescences short paniculate, terminal, or flowers in clusters. Calyx campanulate, subleathery, irregularly 5-lobed. Corolla red or orange-red, campanulate-funnelform, slightly bilabiate; lobes spreading, semirounded. Stamens 4, didynamous, curved, included. Ovary 2-locular, base surrounded by a large disc. Capsule dehiscing loculicidally. Seeds numerous, compressed, membranous, with semitransparent wings.[2] [more]

Catalpa

Trees deciduous. Leaves simple, purple glandular punctate at vein axils abaxially. Inflorescences paniculate, corymbose, or racemose, terminal. Calyx bilabiate or irregularly divided, globose in buds. Corolla campanulate, bilabiate, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed. Fertile stamens 2, included, inserted at base of corolla tube; staminodes 3. Disc conspicuous. Ovary 2-locular; ovules several. Capsule dehiscing loculicidally, long terete; valves thin; septum slender, terete. Seeds in several rows, rounded, thin membranous, with hair tufts at both ends.[3] [more]

Catalpium

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Catophractes

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Ceratophytum

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Chasmia

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Chilopsis

Chilopsis is a genus of , containing a single species, Chilopsis linearis. It is a small tree native to the southwestern United States and Mexico. Despite the common name Desert-willow, given because of its willow-like leaves, it is actually a member of the bignonia family Bignoniaceae. It is commonly seen in washes and along riverbanks at elevations below 1500 m in its range. [more]

Chitalpa

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Chodanthus

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Cleosma

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Clytostoma

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Clytostomanthus

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Codazzia

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Colea

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Cotema

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Couralia

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Craterotecoma

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Crecentia

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Cremastus

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Crescentia

Crescentia (Calabash tree, huingo, krabasi, or kalebas, not to be confused with the ) is a genus of six species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to southern Florida, the Caribbean, southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America. The species are small trees growing to 10 m tall, and producing large spherical fruits up to half a meter in diameter. [more]

Cresentia

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Cupulissa

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Cuspidaria

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]

Cybistax

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Cydista

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Danielia

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Delostoma

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Dendrophila

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Dendrosicus

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Deplanchea

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Dermatocalyx

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Digomphia

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Dinklageanthus

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Dinklageodoxa

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Diplanthera

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Dipterosperma

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Distictella

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Distictis

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Dolichandra

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Dolichandrone

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Dombeya

Trees or shrubs. Leaves 5-costate, cordate, usually palmately lobed. Inflorescence an axillary or terminal, much branched, pedunculate cyme. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic; bract 3, deciduous or absent. Sepals 5, united at the base, eventually reflexed. Petals 5, persistent, imbricate. Stamens 10-20, alternating with 5, strap-shaped staminodes, both monadelphous at the base, anthers parallel. Carpels 2-5, syncarpous; ovary sessile, 2-5-loculed, each locule 2-3-ovuled; style simple; stigmas 2-5, patent. Capsule loculicidally dehiscent, as many loculed as ovary, locules 1-2-seeded. Seeds endospermic.[4] [more]

Doxantha

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Ducoudraea

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Eccremocarpus

Eccremocarpus ( Calampelis D.Don) is a genus of five species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to western South America in Chile, western Argentina, and Peru. The species are evergreen semi-woody vines growing to 1-7 m tall. [more]

Edouardia

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Ekmanianthe

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Enallagma

Enallagma is a genus of in the family Coenagrionidae commonly known as bluets. [more]

Endoloma

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Etorloba

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Exarata

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Exsertanthera

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Ferdinandia

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Fernandia

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Fernandoa

Trees. Leaves 1-pinnately compound; leaflets 2-5(or 6) pairs. Inflorescences cymose, terminal or axillary, pubescent. Calyx tubular or campanulate, usually 2-5-lobed, subzygomorphic or regular, persistent. Corolla funnelform or campanulate; lobes 5, subrounded, sinuate or crenate. Stamens 4, didynamous; anthers 2-celled, slightly divergent, included; staminodes small. Disc annular, occasionally dentate. Ovary terete, glabrous or pubescent, 2-locular; ovules numerous, in 2 rows. Capsule dehiscing loculicidally, 4-angular; valves thin leathery; septum thick, smooth, vertical with fruiting valve. Seeds in 2 rows, numerous, nearly square, narrowly membranous winged at both ends.[5] [more]

Fridericia

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]

Gardnerodoxa

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Gelseminum

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Glaziova

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Glaziovia

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Godmania

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Hadongia

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Hanburyophyton

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Handroanthus

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Haplolophium

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Haplophragma

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Haussmannia

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Haussmannianthes

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Heterocalycium

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Heterophragma

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Hexaneurocarpon

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Hieranthes

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Hieris

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Hilariophyton

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Hippoxylon

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Incarvillea

Herbs erect or prostrate, annual or perennial, with stems or stemless. Leaves simple or 1-3-pinnately divided. Inflorescences racemose, terminal. Calyx campanulate, teeth 5, triangular, rarely enlarged into glands at base. Corolla red or yellow, funnelform, bilabiate; lobes rounded, spreading. Stamens 4, didynamous, included; anthers divergent, glabrous, spurred at base. Disc annular. Ovary sessile, 2-locular; ovules numerous, 1- or 2-rowed on each placenta. Stigma compressed, flabellate, 2-lobed. Capsule dehiscing loculicidally, long terete, erect or curved, acuminate, sometimes 4-6-angular. Seeds minute, compressed, laterally with or surrounded by transparent and membranous wings or filiform hairs.[6] [more]

Jacaranda

Deciduous trees. Leaves 2-pinnate, with many leaflets. Flowers in terminal or axillary panicles, showy, blue to violet. Calyx 5-toothed. Corolla campanulate, 2-lipped, 5-lobed; lobes subequal, spreading, obtuse. Stamens 4; staminode present. Capsule suborbicular, compressed, dehiscing by 2 woody valves. Seeds winged.[7] [more]

Jaracanda

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Kigelia

Kigelia is a genus of in the family Bignoniaceae. The genus comprises only one species, Kigelia africana, which occurs throughout tropical Africa from Eritrea and Chad south to northern South Africa, and west to Senegal and Namibia. [more]

Kigelianthe

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Kokoschkinia

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Kordelestris

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Kuhlmannia

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Lagaropyxis

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Lamiodendron

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Lamourouxia

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Leucocalantha

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Leucocalanthe

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Leucoxylon

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Levya

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Lochmocydia

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Lundia

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Macfadyena

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Macranthisiphon

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Macrocatalpa

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Macrodiscus

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Manaosella

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Mansoa

Mansôa is a town located in the of Guinea-Bissau. Population 7,376 (2008 est). [more]

Markhamia

Trees. Leaves opposite, 1-pinnately compound. Inflorescences terminal. Flowers yellow or yellow-red. Calyx closed in bud, laterally divided to base, spathelike at anthesis, floccose to lanate-woolly. Corolla lobes 5, subequal, rounded, tube short. Stamens 4, didynamous. Capsule dehiscing loculicidally, long, terete, compressed, yellow-brown floccose to lanate-woolly; septum woody, compressed, with 1 concave midrib. Seeds long ellipsoid, 2-rowed in each locule, transparent and membranous winged at both ends.[8] [more]

Martinella

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Mayodendron

Trees evergreen. Leaves opposite, 2-pinnately compound; leaflets entire. Inflorescences short racemose, borne on old stems or short lateral branches. Calyx tubular, spathelike, laterally divided, densely puberulent abaxially. Corolla tubular, orange-yellow; lobes 5, rounded, subequal, reflexed, constricted at base. Stamens 4, subequal, inserted at base of corolla tube; anthers divergent. Disc annual. Ovary long terete, 2-locular. Stigma lingular, compressed, 2-lobed. Capsule dehiscing loculicidally, linear; valves thin leathery. Seeds 2-rowed on each placenta, thin mambranous, transparent and membranous winged at both ends.[9] [more]

Melloa

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Memora

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Micranthocereus

Micranthocereus is of cactus. It originates from Brazil and includes 9 species. [more]

Microbignonia

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Micropaegma

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Millingtonia

Trees. Leaves opposite, 2- or 3-pinnately compound; leaflets ovate, entire. Inflorescences cymose-paniculate, terminal. Calyx cupular, small, apex subtruncate, with very short teeth. Corolla bilabiate, tube long and narrow, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed; lobes valvate, ovate-lanceolate, densely pubescent adaxially along margin. Stamens 4, didynamous, inserted high in corolla tube; 1 anther cell fertile and ellipsoid, another caudate and appendagelike. Disc annular-cupular. Ovary sessile, ovoid. Style long; stigma lingulate, compressed, 2-lobed, slightly exserted from corolla tube. Capsule dehiscing septicidally, long linear, compressed. Seeds in several rows, minute, compressed, winged.[10] [more]

Montravelia

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Muenteria

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Mussatia

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Nematopogon

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Neojobertia

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Neomacfadya

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Neosepicaea

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Neotuerckheimia

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Nestoria

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Neurotecoma

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Neves-Armondia

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Nevrilis

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Newbouldia

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Niedzwedzkia

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Nouletia

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Nycticalos

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Nyctocalos

Vines, without tendrils. Leaves opposite, 1-pinnately compound; leaflets 3-5(-7), entire. Inflorescences racemose, terminal. Calyx campanulate, apex subtruncate; teeth 5, short acute. Corolla white, tube very long, narrowly cylindric, slightly