Phil Bendle Collection:Eccremocarpus scaber (Chilean glory creeper)

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Bignoniaceae
Genus: Eccremocarpus
Species: E. scaber
Binomial name: Eccremocarpus scaber
Synonyms: Dombeya nodiflora, Eccremocarpus rubber, Eccremocarpus scaber var. aurea, Eccremocarpus scaber var. carmineus, Eccremocarpus scaber var. roseus, Eccremocarpus scaber var. sepium, Eccremocarpus sepium, Tourrettia scabra
Common name: Chilean glory creeper, Chilean glory vine, glory vine, Chilean glory flower.

Eccremocarpus scaber is a species of perennial, climbing plant in the Bignoniaceae family, native to the Chilean Andes. In New Zealand, it is listed as a weed species nationwide by the National Pest Plant Accord. It is a pest plant due to its rapid growth and because it produces large amounts of viable seed. It smothers small plants and trees suppressing the growth of native species. It inhabits forest edges, riparian areas, roadsides and waste areas.

Eccremocarpus scaber is a rapidly growing, twining, much-branched, perennial vine. It is usually evergreen but can be deciduous in colder climates. The thin, light green leaves are alternate, bipinnate, 3-7 leaflets. They are variable in size and shape and have prominent veins. They are usually glabrous but can have small hairs. The leaves stems have branched tendrils with small hooks at their end, these grip onto anything for support. 
Flowering occurs during September to May. The numerous, orange-red, tubular flowers (>2.5 cm long) have rounded petals that are slightly rolled back at the tip.
Eccremocarpus scaber’s green, wrinkled fruit capsules are oval shaped and are about 4.5 cm long. When ripe they split open realising black seeds. Each seed has a prominent wing, this aids in wind dispersal. This vine can also be spread by stem fragments.

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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