Family: Bignoniaceae

Representative Image
Representative image.

Kingdom: Plantae Rank: Family Parent: Lamiales Status: Valid

Common Names:

  • Bignoniaceae - English, United States of America

Vegetative Morphology

Habit: Trees, shrubs, or primarily lianas.

Branch: Stems terete or sometimes angular with anomalous phloem growth.

Leaves: Leaves usually compound and opposite, the terminal leaflet of lianas modified into a tendril, the tendril simple, bifid, bifid, multi-branched, or shaped like a cat claw; petioles sometimes with glands.

Reproductive Morphology

Inflorescence: Inflorescence a panicle or raceme, sometimes solitary or in fascicles.

Flowers: Flowers zygomorphic, bisexual; sepals fused into cup-like structure, sometimes with glands; petals fused, the tube conspicuous, the lobes 5, usually imbricate, sometimes with glands; stamens usually inserted on corolla tube, sometimes exerted, didynamous, usually 4, sometimes 2 or 5, the anthers with 2 thecae, rarely 1, staminode often present; nectary disk usually present around base of ovary; ovary superior, 1-2-locular, the style slender, the stigma 2-lobed, placentation axile or parietal.

Fruit: Fruit a loculicidal or septicidal capsule, or hard pepo.

Seeds: Seeds several to numerous per fruit, flattened, usually winged, the endosperm minute to absent.