ACANTHACEyE-ACANTHUS FAMILY 



THUKBERGIA 



Thunbergia alata. 



A perennial climber producing abundant yellow and orange flowers. 

 Native of southern Africa. August. 



5<6W.— Climbing, square, hairy. 



ieove^.— Opposite, triangular-ovate, hastate, repand-toothed, rough 

 pubescent, tomentose beneath; petioles winged. 



Flowers.— '^v&, yellow, or orange, solitary 

 on axillary peduncles. 



Calyx. — Very small, surrounded by two 

 large inflated bracts. 



Corolla. — Trumpet-shaped, with a spread- 

 ing border; tube oblique, enlarged toward 

 the throat; border five-lobed; lobes spread- 

 ing, two a little smaller than the others. 

 Interior of throat aark-purple, which, as it 

 shows, makes a dark eye. 



Stamens. — Four in two pairs, inserted on 

 corolla-tube; anthers curiously fringed. 



Ovary. — Two-celled, globular, tipped with 

 a long, flattened beak; style long, slender; 

 stigma two-lobed. 



Capsule. — Four-seeded. 



Thunbergia. Thunbergia alata 



Thunbergia alata is one of the plants 

 introduced through the efforts of Thunberg, the great collector 

 of Japanese plants in the first half of the nineteenth century. 



The species are mostly tropical plants which flourish with us in 

 the greenhouse; but alata makes a good outdoor vine and is best 

 treated as an annual as it flowers abundantly in late summer. 



420 



