Parmentiera cereifera.
Family Bignoniaceae.
The Candle tree is small, evergreen, much branched and up to 9 m in height.
The bark is slightly fissured and the branches have no thorns.
Leaves are opposite and the petioles, up to 6 cm long, are winged.
The leaves are trifoliate with ovate to oblong leaflets on short stalks.
The terminal leaflet, up to 8 cm, is slightly larger than the laterals.
Inflorescences are solitary flowers or small clusters of 2 to 4.
They are on old wood on the trunk or branches.
The 3 cm long, green calyx is spathe-like.
The corolla, up to 6 cm long, is white or pale greenish.
The 5 lobes have wavy edges.
There are 2 pairs of stamens and a staminode.
There is an annular disc internal to the stamens.
Fruit are cylindrical berries up to 6 cm long and 2 cm wide.
They ripen from green to yellow and have flat oval seeds.
J.F.
