THUNBERGIA 



THUNBERGIA 



1799 



sion: lvs. opposite: fls. blue, yellow, purple or white, 

 solitary and axillary or in racemes; calyx annular and 

 scarcely lobed or toothed or 10-15-toothed, surrounded 

 by 2 large bracts which often inclose also the corolla- 

 tube; corolla trumpet - shaped, with a spreading limb, 

 tube curved or oblique, often compressed, enlarged 

 toward the mouth; stamens 4, didynamous, fixed near 

 the base of the tube, filaments thickened at the base, 



2500. Thunbergia alata (X 



separate; anther-cells parallel, equal, mostly nmerouate 

 at the base: ovary seated on a fleshy disk, 2-loeuled, 

 each cell with 2 ovules (rarely only one). The Thun- 

 bergiese are distinguished by the contorted corolla, the 

 4-seeded capsule, and the globose seeds. 



The Thunbergias are nearly all vigorous greenhouse 

 climbers resembling allamandas in habit. In large con- 

 servatories where they are not cramped for room they 

 flower freely and display their flowers to the best ad- 

 vantage. Severe pruning, which is necessary in small 

 greenhouses, prevents the production of flowers. The 

 larger species, T. laurifolia, T. affinis, T. grandiflora, 

 T. Mysorensis, and T. coccinea are rapid growers, re- 

 quiring plenty of feeding and root-room. All do better 

 in open beds than in pots. They may be propagated 

 either from seeds or by cuttings which are taken from 

 the young wood which starts into growth after the 

 plants have been cut back during winter. These pro- 

 duce few flowers the following autumn, but bloom 

 freely the second season. As a rule, the plants flower 

 in late summer or autumn, but this may be made to 

 vary according to treatment in some species. T. alata 

 and its varieties and T. fragrans are often treated as 

 annual garden plants, flowering in late summer. T. 

 erecta and T. affinis when grown in pots form rather 

 compact shrubby plants. See Gn. 24, p. 314; 30, p. 292; 

 47, p. 150. T. elegans of the trade cannot be accounted 

 for by the writer. TIeinrich Hasselbring. 



Thunbergias and allamandas are great favorites in 

 central and southern Florida, being used on verandas. 

 arbors, small trees, old stumps, trellises and buildings. 

 Of the blue-fld. kinds T. grandiflora is hardiest and 

 commonest. It has large, heart - shaped leaves which 

 overlap one another in a charming manner. It blooms 

 from September till Christmas, the fls. being light blue 

 and rather dull as compared with the next. The form of 

 T. laurifolia, known to the trade as T. Harrisii, has 

 nearly sky-blue fls., of a deeper but brighter hue than 

 the preceding. It is a taller-growing and choicer plant, 

 and has 10 or more fls. in a raceme, while those of T. 

 grandiflora are solitary in the axils. T. fragrans is the 

 common white-fid. kind. The form cult, in Florida is 

 probably var. vestita, as the blossoms are not fragrant. 



T. alata is a general favorite. The fls. range from 

 buff and white to orange with a deep purplish brown 

 throat, the last form being the most popular. This spe- 

 cies is killed to the ground by sharp frost every winter 

 but sprouts vigorously the following spring. It also 

 comes up from self-sown seed. This species grows 

 only 7 or 8 ft. high. All the Thunbergias mentioned 



above are easily raised from cuttings or layers in sum- 

 mer. T. erecta is not a climber but has a somewhat 

 straggling habit. It has small, dark green lvs. and 

 large, deep purplish blue gloxinia-like fls. which are 

 white at the base. There is a pure white variety of it. 

 It blooms all summer and autumn. It is readily raised 

 from cuttings during the rainy season. 



II. Nehrling. 



INDEX. 



affinis, 1. coccinea, 9. Harrisii, 7. 



alata, 2. ca^rulea, 4. inlus-alba, 2. 



alba, 2, 4. Doddsii, 2. laurifolia, 7. 



alhiflora, 2. erecta, 4. lutea, 2. 



aurantiaca. 7. fragrans, 3. Mysorensis, 8. 



Backerii, 2. Fryeri, 2. sulphurea, 2. 



Bakeri, 2. grandiflora, 6, 7. unicolor, 2. 

 clirysops, 5. 



A. Fls. axillary, solitary. 



b. Lis. entire 1. affinis 



bb. Lvs. angularly toothed. 



C. Petioles teiaged 2. alata 



OC. Petioles not winged. 



D. Color of fls. white: corolla- 

 lobes trioleate and sinuate!// 



toothed at the apex 3. fragrans 



dd. Color of fls. blue (white only 



E. Plant suberect 4. erecta 



ee. Plant climbing. 



p. Throat of the corolla yellow. 5. chrysops 

 ff. Throat of the corolla white. 6. grandiflora 

 AA. Pis. in terminal or axillary racemes 

 (see, also, T. grandiflora). 



b. Color of fls. blue 7. laurifolia 



bb. Color of fls. yellow 8. Mysorensis 



bbb. Color of fls. scarlet 0. coccinea 



1. affinis, S. Moore. A rambling shrub, 10-12 ft. 

 high, smooth: branches 4-angled : lvs. short-petioled, 

 elliptic, acute, entire: fls. 2 in. across, deep purple-blue, 

 with a yellow throat. Summer. Tropical Africa. B.M. 

 6975. G.C. III. 2:461. G.M. 32:291. -This plant is 

 closely allied to T. erecta, from which it differs by its 

 entire lvs. and larger fls., which are about twice the 

 size of those of T. erecta. When grown in a pot the 

 plant forms a compact shrub, but when given more 

 room it is a rambling climber. 



2. alata, Bo.j. Fig. 2500. Stem square, climbing- 

 hairy: lvs. opposite, triangular-ovate, hastate, repand- 

 toothed, rough-pubescent, tomentose beneath; petioles 

 winged, about as long as the lvs.: fls. solitary, on 

 axillary peduncles; calyx very small, surrounded by 2 

 large inflated bracts; corolla-tube somewhat longerthan 

 the involucre, dark purple within; limb rotate, oblique, 

 of 5 rounded segments, buff or cream-colored. S.E. 

 Africa. B.M. 2591. P.M. 2:2. B. 5:238 (not good). 

 L.B.C. 11:1045. —A perennial climber which may also 

 be treated as an annual greenhouse plant. Usually 

 propagated by seeds. It is used either as greenhouse 

 climber or to grow on trellises outdoors. Outside 

 it flowers mostly in August, but by propagating at 

 various times they may be had in blossom nearly the 

 whole year in the greenhouse. There are many varie- 

 ties, some of which have been described as species. 



Var. alba, Paxt. {T. alata, var. albiflbra, Hook.). 

 Fls. white, with a blackish center. P.M. 3:28. B.M. 

 3512. Var. aurantiaca, Ktze. (T. aurantiaca, Paxt.). 

 Fls. bright orange, with a dark center. The best of the 

 group. P.M. 6:269. Subvar. Ddddsii has variegated 

 lvs. P.M. 15:221. F.S. 4:415. Var. Bakeri, Hort. (Z\ 

 Bakeri or Backerii, Hort.). Fls. pure white. Var. 

 Fr?eri, Hort. ( T. Frijeri, Hort. T. alata, var. intus- 

 alba, Hort.). Pale orange, with a white center. Var. 

 sulphurea, Hort. Fls. sulfur-yellow. Var. lntea, Hort. 

 (T. alata, var. unicolor, Hort.). Fls. entirely yellow. 



3. fragrrans, Roxb. Stem slender, climbing: lvs. 

 lanceolate to triangular-ovate, cordate or aubcordate, 

 mostly angularly toothed on each side of the base, 

 rough on both sides, petiolate: fls. white, axillary; 

 corolla-tube narrow; limb spreading, 1% in. across, 

 lobes truncate and repandly toothed at the end. Sum- 

 mer. India. 



