Flora of New Zealand Series

Trees, shrubs, often climbing, occasionally herbaceous. Branches often glandular near nodes, twining in some lianes. Lvs usually opposite, rarely alternate, exstipulate (outer bud scales may simulate stipules), sometimes simple, more commonly pinnate or digitate, often the terminal leaflet forming a tendril. Infl. terminal or axillary, racemose or paniculate, sometimes cauliflorous, occasionally fls solitary; bracts and bracteoles caducous. Fls ⚥, zygomorphic to varying degrees, often large and showy. Calyx campanulate, 3-5-lobed or toothed, sometimes truncate. Corolla with 5 imbricate lobes, slightly to strongly 2-lipped; tube cylindric to campanulate. Stamens often 4 and didynamous, less commonly 2, the fifth stamen represented by a short staminode or 0, sometimes 3 staminodes present and only 2 stamens fertile; anthers connivent in pairs, rarely free, 2-locular. Hypogynous disc usually present around ovary. Ovary superior, generally 2-locular and 2-carpellate, sometimes 1-locular with 2 parietal placentae. Ovules numerous. Style 2-lobed. Fr. usually a 2-valved capsule, less commonly indehiscent and fleshy. Seeds often compressed and winged, non-endospermic; embryo straight.

c. 120 genera, 650 spp., nearly all tropical and subtropical, very few to temperate Chile and Sinohimalaya.

Because so many members of the Bignoniaceae have large attractive fls it is not suprising that several have been introduced to cultivation in N.Z. However, apart from Eccremocarpus scaber, which is abundant in an area of S. Canterbury, no bignoniaceous plants are fully naturalised. However, even if present only as casuals they are readily noticed because of their conspicuous fls. Some rarely or never set seed in N.Z. The common genera cultivated, in addition to those described, are: Campsis Lour., Catalpa Scop., Jacaranda Juss., Pyrostegia C. Presl, Tecoma Juss. and the indigenous sp. of Tecomanthe Baillon from the Three Kings Is.

Campsis, a genus of deciduous, pinnate-leaved lianes, is most commonly represented here by the hybrid C. × tagliabuana (Vis.) Rehder. This plant sometimes grows so freely that it is a nuisance and the stems often root at the nodes when trailing.

Fig. 39. Fls of Bignoniaceae. A Eccremocarpus scaber; B Pandorea pandorana; C Tecomaria capensis. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X4X]