Campsis radicans.
Family Bignoniaceae.
One of only 2 species C. radicans, the Trumpet vine, is a fast growing woody vine (liana).
It climbs using aerial roots that grow from the stem nodes.
If there is no support it just scrambles over everything.
The glossy, dark green, pinnate leaves are oppositely arranged.
They are up to 10 to 20 cm long with 3 to 5 (4 to 6) pairs of leaflets and a terminal one.
The leaflets are on short stalks down which the blade often extends.
The ovate or elliptic leaflets have coarse teeth and are paler underneath.
The base may be round or asymmetric and the tip is round or pointed.
There are hairs on the midrib underneath.
The terminal inflorescences have 10 to 20 flowers.
The orange-red calyx with 5 long, pointed lobes is bell-shaped.
The corolla is trumpet-shaped and up to 8 cm long.
There are 5 slightly bilabiate spreading, rounded lobes.
It is red inside and an orange-red outside.
The throat, with red lines, may be slightly yellow.
There are 4 stamens in 2 pairs of unequal length with curved filaments.
The longest pair just reaches the end of the corolla tube.
There is an infertile staminode.
The ovary of 2 fused carpels has 1 locule, 1 style and a 2-lobed stigma.
There is a nectiferous disc around the thin ovary.
There are also nectaries on the calyx, corolla, fruit and leaf stalks.
The dehiscent, loculicidal fruit capsules, 10 to 20 cm long, have 2 chambers.
They contain hundreds of flat, brown, 2-winged seeds.
The capsules have pointed tips.
Campsis radicans f. ‘Flava’ has yellow flowers.
Campsis grandiflora
The Chinese Trumpet Creeper has stems to 10 or 12 m long.
It has few if any aerial roots.
The pinnate leaves are up to 13 cm long with 7 to 9 leaflets on short stalks.
Ovate leaflets have toothed edges.
Terminal inflorescences have trumpet-shaped flowers to 8 cm long.
The bell-shaped calyx is 3 cm long.
The corolla is a pale to dark red to orange with a prominent yellow throat.
The capsules, with 2-winged seeds, have a rounded tip.
There are a number of hybrids.
J.F.
