Trachelospermum.
Family Apocynaceae > Subfamily Apocynoideae > Tribe Apocyneae.
Plants of the world Online (Kew) accepts 10 species mostly native to Asia.
The evergreen woody vines have twining stems that can be over 10 m long.
They will grow as ground covers or climbers.
Cut stems exude a white latex.
The simple ovate to lance-shaped leaves, on a petiole are up to around 6 cm long.
Inflorescences are terminal or axillary.
The smallest branches are cymes with the flowers, on a pedicel, opening from the tip down.
The funnel-shaped flowers can be up to around 6 cm across.
The small sepals are fused at the base with 5 longer lobes.
The corolla has a tubular base with 5 lobes that overlap.
The lobes twist from right to left.
Petals are often white or yellow with some purple.
The 5 stamens insert onto the dilated upper section of the corolla tube.
The anthers are stuck, but not fused to the stigma.
The have downward pointing lower lobes.
The anthers are basifixed and open inwards through long slits.
Between the filament bases and the ovary are 5 (10) nectary lobes.
There are 2 superior ovaries with numerous ovules.
The 2 short styles are fused as are the 2 stigmas.
The large cone-shaped stigma is adherent to the anthers.
Each ovary develops into a follicle that opens along one side.
The follicles may lie beside each other or spread apart.
The seeds have a plume of hairs on one end.
J.F.
