BIGNONIACEAE
Morphological description
Woody (climbers or trees); exstipulate;
Leaves
Leaves usually compound, decussate; leaves or leaflets penninerved, glands on underside of leaves. Leaves simple, whorled, with large glands above at base in Deplanchea; leaves bipinnate in Millingtonia, Oroxylum, Radermachera
Flowers
Flower. large and showy, synsepalous, sympetalous; ovary superior, 2-locular, numerous superposed ovules; usually 4 didynamous stamens, 1 staminode.
Fruits
Fruit flat woody capsule, with many winged seeds. Seeds with corky ridges in Dolichandrone spathacea.
Seeds
Seeds with corky ridges in Dolichandrone spathacea.
Different from: Gesneriaceae and Scrophulariaceae: rarely woody, never lianas, leaves simple; seeds not winged. — Verbenaceae: ovules fewer, never superposed, seeds not winged.
Distribution: The family pantropical, a few species reaching the warm temperate zone. In Malesia 15 genera, incl.: - Deplanchea (Malesia, Australia, New Caledonia), trees, rain forest; - Oroxylum (India to Sulawesi), trees, secondary forest; - Pandorea (East Malesia, West Paciļ¬c, Australia), lianas, rain forest; - Radermachera (Indo-Malesia), trees, rain forest.
Notes: Flowers visited by birds, bats and sphingids; winged seeds, dispersed by wind; Dolichandrone spathacea by water. — Ornamentals: Crescentia*, Jacaranda*, Kigelia*, Saritaea*, Spathodea*, Tabebuia*, Tecoma*; some indigenous species of Deplanchea, Pandorea and Tecomanthe are (potential) ornamentals.
Literature: C.G.G.J. van Steenis, Fl. Males. I, 8 (1977) 144-186.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Bignoniaceae climbers with hooks/tendrils (p.p.), leaf with domatia (p.p.), seeds winged (p.p.) Crescentia leaves spiral in opposite-leaved families, fruit woody, seeds scattered; C. alata winged rachis/petiole, leaves palmately compound Deplanchea glands on petiole or lamina, petiole swollen apically, leaves verticillate, flowers yellow Dolichandrone drying leaves turn black ; D. spathacea leaves compound opposite,corolla/petals fimbriate or bifid Fernandoa glands on petiole or lamina, leaves compound opposite Hieris climbers without hooks/tendrils, climbers with opposite leaves, leaves compound opposite Jacaranda leaves 2-,3- (or 4-)pinnate Kigelia leaves bullate Lamiodendron rachis with swollen nodes, leaves compound opposite Millingtonia leaves compound opposite, leaves 2-,3- (or 4-)pinnate Neosepicaea climbers without hooks/tendrils, climbers with opposite leaves, glands on petiole or lamina, leaves palmately compound (p.p.), leaves compound opposite Nyctocalos climbers without hooks/tendrils, glands on petiole or lamina, leaves palmately compound (p.p.), leaves compound opposite Oroxylum schopfbaume, rachis with swollen nodes, leaves compound opposite, leaves 2-,3- (or 4-)pinnate Pajanelia leaves compound opposite, fruit winged Pandorea climbers without hooks/tendrils, climbers with opposite leaves, glands on petiole or lamina, leaves compound opposite Parmentieracauliflorous Radermachera leafless when flowering (p.p.), dried plants resinous (p.p.), glands on petiole or lamina, rachis with swollen nodes, leaves compound opposite, leaves 2-,3- (or 4-)pinnate,cauliflorous (p.p.) Saritaea climbers with hooks/tendrils, climbers with opposite leaves, leaves compound opposite Stereospermum leafless when flowering, winged rachis/petiole, glands on petiole or lamina, leaves compound opposite ; S. fimbriatumcorolla/petals fimbriate or bifid Tecoma leaves compound opposite, flowers yellow Tecomanthe climbers without hooks/tendrils, climbers with opposite leaves, glands on petiole or lamina, winged rachis/petiole (p.p.), leaves palmately compound (p.p.), leaves compound opposite.
Illustrations: Fig. 14 Pandorea pandorana (Andr.) Steenis C.G.G.J. van Steenis, Fl. Males. I, 8 (1977) 144-186. Fig.15 Radermachera pinnata (Blanco) Seem.
Images in PhytoImages for Bignoniaceae.