Dolichandra unguis-cati

Dolichandra unguis-cati


Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Bignoniaceae
Tribe:	Bignonieae
Genus:	Dolichandra
Binomial name
*Dolichandra unguis-cati* (L.) Miers 1863
Synonyms^[1]
List Batocydia exoleta Mart. ex DC. nom. inval. Batocydia unguis Mart. ex DC. nom. inval. Batocydia unguis-cati (L.) Mart. ex Britton Bignonia acutistipula Schltdl. Bignonia californica Brandegee Bignonia catharinensis Schenck Bignonia dasyonyx S.F.Blake Bignonia exoleta Vell. Bignonia gracilis Lodd. Bignonia inflata Griseb. Bignonia lanuginosa Hemsl. Bignonia pseudounguis Desf. Bignonia triantha DC. Bignonia tweediana Lindl. Bignonia tweediana Griseb. ex Fabris Bignonia unguis L. Bignonia unguis Vell. nom. illeg. Bignonia unguis L. ex DC. Bignonia unguis-cati L. Bignonia vespertilia Barb.Rodr. Dolichandra kohautiana C.Presl Doxantha acutistipula (Schltdl.) Miers Doxantha adunca Miers Doxantha chelephora Miers nom. inval. Doxantha dasyonyx (S.F.Blake) S.F.Blake Doxantha exoleta (Vell.) Miers Doxantha lanuginosa (Hemsl.) Miers nom. inval. Doxantha mexicana Miers nom. inval. Doxantha praesignis Miers nom. inval. Doxantha radicans (DC.) Miers Doxantha serrulata Miers nom. inval. Doxantha tenuicula Miers nom. inval. Doxantha torquata Miers nom. inval. Doxantha tweediana (Lindl.) Miers Doxantha unguis (L.) Miers Doxantha unguis-cati (L.) Miers Doxantha unguis-cati (L.) Miers ex Rehder Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) A.H.Gentry Microbignonia auristellae Kraenzl. Spathodea kohautiana (C.Presl) Walp.

Dolichandra unguis-cati, commonly known as cats claw creeper, funnel creeper,^[2] or cat's claw trumpet,^[2] is a rapidly growing climbing vine belonging to the family Bignoniaceae.^[3]

Description

Dolichandra unguis-cati has semipersistent foliage. Stems are woody and can reach 20 meters. Thin and small aerial roots are used for climbing. Leaves are dark green, opposite and bifoliate. Leaflets have a length of 3 to 4 cm. The plant produces flowers during the wet season. Flowers are yellow, have a diameter of 4 to 5 cm and can grow alone or in groups of 2 or 3. Long primary roots extend beneath the soil surface, producing large tubers 40–50 centimetres long. Fruits are brown flattened capsules from 25 to 95 cm long. Each capsule contains 100 to 200 seeds.

Distribution and habitat

This plant is native to the tropical dry forest of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. In these natural areas it occurs from sea level to over 600 meters above sea level and where the rainfall is 750 to 2400 mm per year. It can become invasive and it is present worldwide. It can affect all layers of plants of forest ecosystems by rapidly spreading both vertically and horizontally.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dolichandra unguis-cati.

↑ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species".
1 2 "USDA GRIN Taxonomy".
↑ "Cat's claw creeper (Macfadyena unguis-cati)". Brisbane Rainforest Newsletter; Brisbane Rainforest Action & Information Network. April 1996. Retrieved 15 May 2013.

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