Bignoniaceae
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Bignoniaceae () is a
family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
of
flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
s in the
order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...
Lamiales The Lamiales (also known as the mint order) are an order of flowering plants in the asterids clade of the Eudicots. Under the APG IV system of flowering plant classification the order consists of 24 families, and includes about 23,810 species ...
commonly known as the bignonias or trumpet vines.Vernon H. Heywood, Richard K. Brummitt, Ole Seberg, and Alastair Culham. ''Flowering Plant Families of the World''. Firefly Books: Ontario, Canada. (2007). . It is not known to which of the other families in the order it is most closely related.Peter F. Stevens (2001 onwards). "Bignoniaceae" At:
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website The Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (or APweb) is a website that presents up-to-date research on the phylogeny and taxonomy of flowering plants (angiosperms) in what is intended to be a user-friendly way. The site is hosted by the Missouri Botanical ...
. At: Botanical Databases At:
Missouri Botanical Garden The Missouri Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located at 4344 Shaw Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also known informally as Shaw's Garden for founder and philanthropy, philanthropist Henry Shaw (philanthropist), Henry Shaw. I ...
Website. (see ''External links'' below)
Nearly all of the Bignoniaceae are
woody plant A woody plant is a plant that produces wood as its structural tissue and thus has a hard stem. In cold climates, woody plants further survive winter or dry season above ground, as opposed to Herbaceous plant, herbaceous plants that die back to t ...
s, but a few are subwoody, either as
vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...
s or
subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or undershrub is either a small shrub (e.g. prostrate shrubs) or a perennial that is largely herbaceous but slightly woody at the base (e.g. garden pink and florist's chrysanthemum). The term is often interch ...
s. A few more are
herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition o ...
s of high-
elevation The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...
montane Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...
habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
s, in three exclusively herbaceous
genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
: '' Tourrettia'', '' Argylia'', and '' Incarvillea''. The family includes many
liana A liana is a long-Plant stem, stemmed Woody plant, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the Canopy (biology), canopy in search of direct sunlight. T ...
s, climbing by
tendril In botany, a tendril is a specialized Plant stem, stem, leaf or Petiole (botany), petiole with a thread-like shape used by climbing plants for support and attachment, as well as cellular invasion by parasitic plants such as ''Cuscuta''. There ar ...
s, by twining, or rarely, by
aerial root Aerial roots are Root, roots growing above the ground. They are often Plant development#Adventitious structures, adventitious, i.e. formed from nonroot tissue. They are found in diverse plant species, including epiphytes such as orchids ('' ...
s. The largest
tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
in the family, called Bignonieae, consists mostly of lianas and is noted for its unique wood anatomy.Eberhard Fischer, Inge Theisen, and Lúcia G. Lohmann. 2004. "Bignoniaceae". pages 9-38. In: Klaus Kubitzki (editor) and Joachim W. Kadereit (volume editor). ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants'' volume VII. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; Heidelberg, Germany. The family has a nearly
cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, a cosmopolitan distribution is the range of a taxon that extends across most or all of the surface of the Earth, in appropriate habitats; most cosmopolitan species are known to be highly adaptable to a range of climatic and en ...
, but is mostly
tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...
, with a few
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...
to the temperate zones. Its greatest
diversity Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to: Business *Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce *Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers * ...
is in northern South America. The family has been covered in some major floristic projects, such as
Flora of China The flora of China consists of a diverse range of plant species including over 39,000 vascular plants, 27,000 species of fungi and 3000 species of bryophytes.Wu, Z. Y., P. H. Raven & D. Y. Hong, eds. 2006. Flora of China. Vol. 22 (Poaceae). Sci ...
, Flora Malesiana, and Flora Neotropica. It has not yet been covered in some others, such as
Flora of Australia The flora of Australia comprises a vast assemblage of plant species estimated to over 21,000 vascular and 14,000 non-vascular plants, 250,000 species of fungi and over 3,000 lichens. The flora has strong affinities with the flora of Gondwana, ...
, and
Flora of North America The ''Flora of North America North of Mexico'' (usually referred to as ''FNA'') is a multivolume work describing the native plants and naturalized plants of North America, including the United States, Canada, St. Pierre and Miquelon, and Greenla ...
. Bignoniaceae are most noted for ornamentals, such as ''
Jacaranda ''Jacaranda'' is a genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas while cultivated around the world. The generic name is also used as the common name. The species ' ...
'', ''
Tabebuia ''Tabebuia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Bignoniaceae.Eberhard Fischer, Inge Theisen, and Lúcia G. Lohmann. 2004. "Bignoniaceae". pages 9-38. In: Klaus Kubitzki (editor) and Joachim W. Kadereit (volume editor) ...
'' and '' Spathodea'', grown for their conspicuous, tubular flowers.George W. Staples and Derral R. Herbst. 2005. "A Tropical Garden Flora" Bishop Museum Press: Honolulu, HI, USA. A great many species are known in cultivation. Anthony Huxley, Mark Griffiths, and Margot Levy (1992). ''The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening''. The Macmillan Press, Limited: London. The Stockton Press: New York. (set). Various other uses have been made of members of this family. Several species were of great importance to the
indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
of the American tropics. '' Fridericia elegans'', '' Tanaecium bilabiata'', and '' Tanaecium excitosum'' are poisonous to
livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...
and have caused severe losses. According to different accounts, the number of species in the family is about 810David J. Mabberley. 2008. ''Mabberley's Plant-Book'' third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK. or about 860. The last
monograph A monograph is generally a long-form work on one (usually scholarly) subject, or one aspect of a subject, typically created by a single author or artist (or, sometimes, by two or more authors). Traditionally it is in written form and published a ...
of the entire family was published in 2004. In that
work Work may refer to: * Work (human activity), intentional activity people perform to support themselves, others, or the community ** Manual labour, physical work done by humans ** House work, housework, or homemaking ** Working animal, an ani ...
, 104 genera were recognized. Since that time,
molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
studies have greatly clarified relationships within the family, and the number of accepted genera is now between 80 and 85.Lúcia G. Lohmann and Carmen U. Ulloa. 2007 onward. Bignoniaceae in iPlants prototype Checklist. (See ''External links'' below).


Description

Members of this family are mostly
tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...
s or
liana A liana is a long-Plant stem, stemmed Woody plant, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the Canopy (biology), canopy in search of direct sunlight. T ...
s, sometimes
shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...
s, and rarely
subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or undershrub is either a small shrub (e.g. prostrate shrubs) or a perennial that is largely herbaceous but slightly woody at the base (e.g. garden pink and florist's chrysanthemum). The term is often interch ...
s or
herbs Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnish (food), garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typi ...
. Lianas of the tribe Bignonieae have a unique
vascular Vascular can refer to: * blood vessels, the vascular system in animals * vascular tissue Vascular tissue is a complex transporting tissue, formed of more than one cell type, found in vascular plants. The primary components of vascular tissue ...
structure A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...
, in which
phloem Phloem (, ) is the living tissue in vascular plants that transports the soluble organic compounds made during photosynthesis and known as ''photosynthates'', in particular the sugar sucrose, to the rest of the plant. This transport process is ...
arms extend downward into the
xylem Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue (biology), tissue in vascular plants, the other being phloem; both of these are part of the vascular bundle. The basic function of the xylem is to transport water upward from the roots to parts o ...
because certain segments of the
cambium A cambium (: cambiums or cambia), in plants, is a tissue layer that provides partially undifferentiated cells for plant growth. It is found in the area between xylem and phloem. A cambium can also be defined as a cellular plant tissue from whic ...
cease the production of xylem at an early stage of
development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development (music), the process by which thematic material is reshaped * Photographic development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting * Development hell, when a proje ...
. The number of these arms is four or a multiple thereof, up to 32. When four, the phloem arms appear as a cross, hence, the
common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...
"cross vine". The phloem in the arms has wider sieve tubes and less
parenchyma upright=1.6, Lung parenchyma showing damage due to large subpleural bullae. Parenchyma () is the bulk of functional substance in an animal organ such as the brain or lungs, or a structure such as a tumour. In zoology, it is the tissue that ...
than the ordinary phloem. The
leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...
are petiolate. Leaf arrangement usually is
opposite In lexical semantics, opposites are words lying in an inherently incompatible binary relationship. For example, something that is ''even'' entails that it is not ''odd''. It is referred to as a 'binary' relationship because there are two members i ...
, or rarely
alternate Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * Alternative comics, or independent comics are an alternative to mainstream superh ...
or verticillate (in whorls). Leaves are usually compound, bifoliate,
trifoliate The following terms are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade is divided into two or more leaflets ...
,
pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and ...
, or
palmate The following terms are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade is divided into two or more leaflets ...
, or rarely
simple Simple or SIMPLE may refer to: *Simplicity, the state or quality of being simple Arts and entertainment * ''Simple'' (album), by Andy Yorke, 2008, and its title track * "Simple" (Florida Georgia Line song), 2018 * "Simple", a song by John ...
.
Stipule In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole (botany), petiole). They are primarily found among dicots and rare among monocots. Stipules are considered part ...
s are absent, but persistent; enlarged axillary
bud In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or Plant embryogenesis, embryonic Shoot (botany), shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of a Plant stem, stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormancy, dormant conditi ...
scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number ...
( pseudostipules) are often present.
Domatia A domatium (plural: domatia, from the Latin "domus", meaning home) is a tiny chamber that houses arthropods, produced by a plant. Ideally domatia differ from galls in that they are produced by the plant rather than being induced by their inhabi ...
occur in some genera.
Flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...
s are solitary or in
inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...
s in a
raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are ...
or a
helicoid The helicoid, also known as helical surface, is a smooth Surface (differential geometry), surface embedded in three-dimensional space. It is the surface traced by an infinite line that is simultaneously being rotated and lifted along its Rotation ...
or dichasial cyme. Inflorescences bear persistent or
deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...
s or bractlets. The flowers are hypogynous,
zygomorphic Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts. Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spir ...
,
bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
, and usually conspicuous. The calyx and corolla are distinct. The calyx is synsepalous, with five
sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...
s. The corolla is
sympetalous Sympetally (fused petals) is a flower characteristic that historically was used to classify a grouping of plants termed Sympetalae, but this term has been abandoned in newer molecular based classifications, although the grouping has similarity to ...
, with five
petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...
s, often bilabiate. Corolla lobes are
imbricate Aestivation or estivation is the positional arrangement of the parts of a flower within a flower bud before it has opened. Aestivation is also sometimes referred to as praefoliation or prefoliation, but these terms may also mean vernation: the ar ...
in bud, or rarely valvate, and usually much shorter than the corolla tube.
Stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...
s are inserted on the corolla tube, alternating with corolla lobes. The four stamens are didynamous, members of each pair often connivent, the adaxial stamen is usually staminodial or absent; rarely with five fertile stamens or with two fertile and three staminodial stamens. The stigma is bilobed, and usually sensitive; a
style Style, or styles may refer to: Film and television * ''Style'' (2001 film), a Hindi film starring Sharman Joshi, Riya Sen, Sahil Khan and Shilpi Mudgal * ''Style'' (2002 film), a Tamil drama film * ''Style'' (2004 film), a Burmese film * '' ...
is present. The
ovary The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/ oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are end ...
is superior, usually surrounded by a
nectary Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists, ...
disk, composed of two
carpel Gynoecium (; ; : gynoecia) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more ...
s, bilocular and with a septum, except unilocular in ''Tourrettia'' and quadrilocular in ''Eccremocarpus''.
Placentation Placentation is the formation, type and structure, or modes of arrangement of the placenta. The function of placentation is to transfer nutrients, respiratory gases, and water from maternal tissue to a growing embryo, and in some instances to re ...
is axile, except parietal in ''Tourrettia''.
Ovule In seed plants, the ovule is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells. It consists of three parts: the ''integument'', forming its outer layer, the ''nucellus'' (or remnant of the sporangium, megasporangium), ...
s are numerous. The
fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...
is usually a bivalved capsule, often with a replum. Dehiscence is septicidal or loculicidal. The three exceptions are the genera '' Kigelia'', '' Crescentia'' and their close relatives, and '' Colea'' and its close relatives. In these, the fruit is indehiscent, not a capsule, and the seeds are not winged. The fruit is a
berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...
in these genera.
Seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...
s are usually flat and winged.
Aril An aril (), also called arillus, is a specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed. An arillode, or false aril, is sometimes distinguished: whereas an aril grows from the attachment point of the seed to the ova ...
is absent.
Endosperm The endosperm is a tissue produced inside the seeds of most of the flowering plants following double fertilization. It is triploid (meaning three chromosome sets per nucleus) in most species, which may be auxin-driven. It surrounds the Embryo#Pla ...
usually absent, and sometimes sparse. Lapachol, a yellow, skin-irritating naphthoquinone, is often found in the
wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
. Other naphthoquinones, as well as
anthraquinone Anthraquinone, also called anthracenedione or dioxoanthracene, is an aromatic hydrocarbon, aromatic organic compound with formula . Several isomers exist but these terms usually refer to 9,10-anthraquinone (IUPAC: 9,10-dioxoanthracene) wherein th ...
s, are also present in various parts of the plant. Jacaranone is a quinonoid from ''Jacaranda''. True
tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and Precipitation (chemistry), precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' is widel ...
s are not present.
Pigment A pigment is a powder used to add or alter color or change visual appearance. Pigments are completely or nearly solubility, insoluble and reactivity (chemistry), chemically unreactive in water or another medium; in contrast, dyes are colored sub ...
s are mostly flavones,
anthocyanin Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are solubility, water-soluble vacuole, vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart named a chemical compou ...
s, and
carotenoid Carotenoids () are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, corn, tomatoes, cana ...
s.Robert Hegnauer. 1989. ''Chemotaxonomie der Pflanzen'' 8:128–138. Birkhäuser Verlag: Basel, Switzerland; Boston MA, USA; Berlin, Germany.
Iridoids Iridoids are a type of monoterpenoids in the general form of cyclopentanopyran, found in a wide variety of plants and some animals. They are biosynthetically derived from 8-oxogeranial. Iridoids are typically found in plants as glycosides, mos ...
are usually present. Other compounds detected in Bignoniaceae include
verbascoside Verbascoside is a polyphenol glycoside in which the phenylpropanoid caffeic acid and the phenylethanoid hydroxytyrosol form an ester and an ether bond respectively, to the rhamnose part of a disaccharide, namely β-(3′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl ...
s, cornoside,
quercetin Quercetin is a plant flavonol from the flavonoid group of polyphenols. It is found in many fruits, vegetables, leaves, seeds, and grains; capers, red onions, and kale are common foods containing appreciable amounts of it. It has a bitter flavor ...
, ursolic acid,
saponin Saponins (Latin ''sapon'', 'soap' + ''-in'', 'one of') are bitter-tasting, usually toxic plant-derived secondary metabolites. They are organic chemicals that become foamy when agitated in water and have high molecular weight. They are present ...
s, and catalpic acid. The
chromosome number Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Here ''sets of chromosomes'' refers to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, ...
does not vary much in Bignoniaceae. The
haploid Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell (biology), cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for Autosome, autosomal and Pseudoautosomal region, pseudoautosomal genes. Here ''sets of chromosomes'' refers to the num ...
( base chromosome number) is 20 for nearly every species sampled, but some species have very small
chromosome A chromosome is a package of DNA containing part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes, the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with nucleosome-forming packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells, the most import ...
s, making an accurate count difficult. B chromosomes are common in Bignoniaceae.
Pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma (botany), stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example bees, beetles or bu ...
is either entomophilous (via
insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...
s), ornithophilous (via
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
s), or chiropterophilous (via
bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
s).


Taxonomy

The family Bignoniaceae was first validly published in the botanical literature (as Bignonieae) by
Antoine Laurent de Jussieu Antoine Laurent de Jussieu (; 12 April 1748 – 17 September 1836) was a French botanist, notable as the first to publish a natural classification of flowering plants; much of his system remains in use today. His classification was based on an e ...
in 1789 in his
classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...
work, ''Genera Plantarum''.James L. Reveal. 2008on. "Bignoniaceae" In: A checklist of suprageneric names for extant vascular plants At: Home page of James L. Reveal & C. Rose Broome. (See ''External links'' below). The
type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * ...
genus for this family is ''Bignonia'', which was validated by
Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...
in ''
Species Plantarum ' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genus, genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial nomenclature ...
'' in 1753.''Bignonia'' In: International Plant Names Index. (see ''External links'' below). The name originated with
Joseph Pitton de Tournefort Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (5 June 165628 December 1708) was a French botanist, notable as the first to make a clear definition of the concept of genus for plants. Botanist Charles Plumier was his pupil and accompanied him on his voyages. Li ...
, who named it for his benefactor,
Jean-Paul Bignon The Abbé Jean-Paul Bignon, Oratory of Jesus, Cong.Orat. (; 19 September 1662, Paris – 14 March 1743, Île Belle) was a French ecclesiastic, statesman, writer and preacher and librarian to Louis XIV of France. His protégé, Joseph Pitton de ...
, in 1694, in his influential ''Eléments de botanique ou méthode pour connaître les plantes''.Umberto Quattrocchi. 2000. ''CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names'' volume I. CRC Press: Boca Raton; New York; Washington, DC;, USA. London, UK. (vol. I). Important groundwork for future study of the family was laid down from 1789 to 1837, mostly by Jussieu,
Kunth Carl Sigismund Kunth (18 June 1788 – 22 March 1850) was a German botanist. He was also known as Karl Sigismund Kunth or anglicized as Charles Sigismund Kunth. He was one of the early systematic botanists who focused on studying the plants of th ...
, Bojer and G.Don (
George Don George Don (29 April 1798 – 25 February 1856) was a Scottish botanist and plant collector. Life and career George Don was born at Doo Hillock, Forfar, Angus, Scotland on 29 April 1798 to Caroline Clementina Stuart and George Don (b.1756), pr ...
(1798–1856) not George Don the elder (1764–1814). Bentham and Hooker surveyed the family in their ''Genera Plantarum'' in 1876.George Bentham and Joseph D. Hooker. 1876. ''Genera plantarum :ad exemplaria imprimis in Herberiis Kewensibus servata definita'' vol. 2 part 2:1026-1053. Reeve & Co. London, England. (See ''External links'' below).
Karl Moritz Schumann Karl Moritz Schumann (17 June 1851 – 22 March 1904) was a German botanist. Schumann was born in Görlitz. He was curator of the Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum, Botanisches Museum in Berlin-Dahlem from 1880 until 1894. ...
wrote a
monograph A monograph is generally a long-form work on one (usually scholarly) subject, or one aspect of a subject, typically created by a single author or artist (or, sometimes, by two or more authors). Traditionally it is in written form and published a ...
on Bignoniaceae in 1894 for Engler and Prantl's '' Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien''. After Schumann's monograph, no taxonomic treatment of the entire family was published until 2004. As the number of known species gradually increased, a great deal of confusion developed over the delimitation of genera. New genera were frequently erected for species that did not clearly belong to any of the previously described genera. This resulted in a proliferation of monotypic genera.
Gentry Gentry (from Old French , from ) are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. ''Gentry'', in its widest connotation, refers to people of good social position connected to Landed property, landed es ...
reduced the number of genera in 1973, 1976, and 1979. Nevertheless, the revision of 2004 described 104 genera, 38 of them monotypic. This problem was especially acute in the tribe Bignonieae. In that tribe, many species of uncertain affinity were assigned to a vaguely defined ''Arrabidaea'', turning that genus into a "wastebasket" of about 100 species. Since 2004, molecular phylogenetic studies have shown a substantial revision of the genera is necessary. Much work toward this goal can be viewed online, but little of it has yet been published in scientific papers. A detailed taxonomic history of Bignoniaceae was published in 1980. A summary of this history was published in 1999.Russell E. Spangler and Richard G. Olmstead. 1999. "Phylogenetic Analysis of Bignoniaceae Based on the cpDNA Gene Sequences of rbcL and ndhF". ''Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden'' 86(1):33-46. (See ''External links'' below).


Classification

In the
APG IV system The APG IV system of flowering plant classification is the fourth version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy for flowering plants (angiosperms) being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). It was publish ...
of
classification Classification is the activity of assigning objects to some pre-existing classes or categories. This is distinct from the task of establishing the classes themselves (for example through cluster analysis). Examples include diagnostic tests, identif ...
for flowering plants, Bignoniaceae is one of the 24 families in the order Lamiales. (Lamiales has 25 families if Rehmanniaceae are accepted). Within the order, Bignoniaceae is in a
group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
of eight families consisting of Thomandersiaceae,
Pedaliaceae Pedaliaceae, the pedalium family or sesame family, is a flowering plant family classified in the order (biology), order Lamiales. The family includes sesame (''Sesamum indicum''), the source of sesame seeds. It comprises 13 genera and approx ...
, Martyniaceae, Schlegeliaceae, Bignoniaceae,
Verbenaceae The Verbenaceae ( ), the verbena family or vervain family, is a family of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs, and herbs notable for heads, spikes, or clusters of small flowers, many of which have an aromatic smell. T ...
,
Acanthaceae Acanthaceae () is a Family (biology), family (the acanthus family) of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species. Most are Tropics, tropical Herbaceous plant, herbs, shrubs, or twining vines; some are epip ...
, and Lentibulariaceae. This group is described as a polytomy, meaning no two of its members are known to be more closely related to each other than to any of the others. Statistical support for this group remains weak, indicating insufficient
data Data ( , ) are a collection of discrete or continuous values that convey information, describing the quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted for ...
have been applied, or the group is an artifact of some phylogenetic method. The
composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography * Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...
of Bignoniaceae has been relatively stable and has not varied at all in the 21st century. In the 20th century, the only issues of circumscription were whether
Paulowniaceae Paulowniaceae are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants within the Lamiales. They are a monophyletic and monogeneric family of trees with currently 7 confirmed species. They were formerly placed within Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato'', or ...
and Schlegeliaceae should be merged into Bignoniaceae, or accepted as separate families. The Paulowniaceae consist of one to four genera: ''
Paulownia ''Paulownia'' ( ) is a genus of seven to 17 species of hardwood trees (depending on taxonomic authority) in the family Paulowniaceae, the order Lamiales. The genus and family are native to east Asia and are widespread across China. The genus, o ...
'', ''Shiuyinghua'', '' Wightia'', and '' Brandisia''. Whatever their circumscription, Paulowniaceae are now known to be close to
Phrymaceae Phrymaceae, also known as the lopseed family, is a small family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales.Peter F. Stevens (2001 onwards). "Phrymaceae" At: Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. At: Botanical Databases At: Missouri Botanical Garden Websi ...
and
Orobanchaceae Orobanchaceae, the broomrapes, is a family (biology), family of mostly parasitic plants of the order (biology), order Lamiales, with about 90 genus, genera and more than 2000 species. Many of these genera (e.g., ''Pedicularis'', ''Rhinanthus'', ...
, rather than to Bignoniaceae. The family Schlegeliaceae has been included in Bignoniaceae, as tribe Schlegelieae, as recently as 1980. It is now accepted as a distinct family, but its relationships with several other families remain unresolved. In molecular phylogenetic analyses, Bignoniaceae has surprisingly weak bootstrap support, given its morphological coherence. The tribe Jacarandeae (''Digomphia'' and ''Jacaranda'') is
sister A sister is a woman or a girl who shares parents or a parent with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to ref ...
to the rest of the family, which is known as the Core Bignoniaceae. The Core Bignoniaceae is strongly supported in all molecular phylogenetic analyses, but has no known morphological
synapomorphy In phylogenetics, an apomorphy (or derived trait) is a novel Phenotypic trait, character or character state that has evolution, evolved from its ancestral form (or Plesiomorphy and symplesiomorphy, plesiomorphy). A synapomorphy is an apomorphy sh ...
. No subfamilies have been proposed for Bignoniaceae in recent
taxonomy image:Hierarchical clustering diagram.png, 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme o ...
, but in 2004, Fischer ''et al.'' divided the family into seven tribes: Tourrettieae, Eccremocarpeae, Tecomeae (''sensu lato''), Bignonieae, Oroxyleae, Crescentieae, and Coleeae. Since that time, Tourrettieae and Eccremocarpeae have been merged under the name Tourrettieae. Tecomeae'' sensu lato'' has been shown to be
polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage that includes organisms with mixed evolutionary origin but does not include their most recent common ancestor. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as Homoplasy, homoplasies ...
, consisting of the following groups: ''Astianthus'', Jacarandeae, ''Argylia'', ''Delostoma'', ''Perianthomega'', Catalpeae, Tecomeae ''sensu stricto'', and all of Crescentiina except those genera placed in Crescentieae or Coleeae. All of these groups are monophyletic except Crescentiina ''pro parte''. The whole Crescentiina is monophyletic. Crescentiina is one of a type of name with no definite
taxonomic rank In biology, taxonomic rank (which some authors prefer to call nomenclatural rank because ranking is part of nomenclature rather than taxonomy proper, according to some definitions of these terms) is the relative or absolute level of a group of or ...
. Crescentiina is composed of two strongly supported clades, informally named the ''Tabebuia'' alliance and the Paleotropical clade. The tribe Crescentieae is embedded in the ''Tabebuia'' alliance and might be expanded to include ''Spirotecoma''. Coleeae ''
sensu ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...
'' Fischer ''et al.'' (2004) is polyphyletic because of the inclusion of ''Kigelia'', and it is nested within the Paleotropical clade. ''Perianthomega'' has been transferred from Tecomeae ''sensu stricto'' to Bignonieae, where it is sister to the remainder of the tribe. Thus, Bignoniaceae can be divided into 10 monophyletic groups.


Phylogeny

The
phylogenetic tree A phylogenetic tree or phylogeny is a graphical representation which shows the evolutionary history between a set of species or taxa during a specific time.Felsenstein J. (2004). ''Inferring Phylogenies'' Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, MA. In ...
shown below is based on the results of four phylogenetic studies. For all clades,
posterior probability The posterior probability is a type of conditional probability that results from updating the prior probability with information summarized by the likelihood via an application of Bayes' rule. From an epistemological perspective, the posteri ...
is at least 0.95 and bootstrap support is at least 70%, except where indicated otherwise.


Genera

In the last taxonomic revision of Bignoniaceae, 104 genera were described in ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants''. Twenty-five of these genera, all in the tribe Bignonieae, were later synonymized under other genera, based on a
cladistic Cladistics ( ; from Ancient Greek 'branch') is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups ("clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is ...
analysis of
DNA sequence A nucleic acid sequence is a succession of bases within the nucleotides forming alleles within a DNA (using GACT) or RNA (GACU) molecule. This succession is denoted by a series of a set of five different letters that indicate the order of the nu ...
s, published in 2006. ''Roseodendron'' and ''Handroanthus'' were resurrected from ''Tabebuia'' in 2007. ''Mayodendron'' and ''Pachyptera'' have been resurrected. In 2009, Six of these groups have been recognized as tribes at one time or another, and are represented by their tribal names. Two of the groups are monogeneric and are designated by their constituent genera, ''Argylia'' and ''Delostoma''. The other two groups are given informal names, pending a formal revision of the infrafamilial
classification Classification is the activity of assigning objects to some pre-existing classes or categories. This is distinct from the task of establishing the classes themselves (for example through cluster analysis). Examples include diagnostic tests, identif ...
. ''Astianthus'' has never been
sampled Sample or samples may refer to: * Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample ...
for
DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...
and its systematic position within the family remains obscure. Likewise, the placement of ''Romeroa'' in the ''Tabebuia'' alliance and the placement of ''Sphingiphila'' in Bignonieae are in doubt. ''Tecomaria'' is not included in the list below, and its recognition is controversial. It is
monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...
(''Tecomaria capensis''), and had been long accepted, but was returned to ''Tecoma'' in 1980. A molecular phylogenetic study resolved it as
sister A sister is a woman or a girl who shares parents or a parent with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to ref ...
to another
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
n genus, ''Podranea'', but with only weak bootstrap support. ''Tecomaria'' has not yet been resurrected or transferred to another genus. The tribe Bignonieae has been the subject of considerable revision since 2006. Fischer ''et al.'' placed 46 genera in this tribe. Afterward, ''Perianthomega'' was transferred to it from Tecomeae ''
sensu lato ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...
'' and ''Pachyptera'' was resurrected from ''Mansoa''. Twenty-five of the genera of Fischer have been subsumed into other genera as follows: ''Gardnerodoxa'' into ''Neojobertia''; ''Memora'' into ''Adenocalymma''; ''Leucocalantha'' into ''Pachyptera''; ''Pseudocatalpa, Paragonia, Periarrabidaea, Spathicalyx,'' and ''Ceratophytum'' into ''Tanaecium''; ''Arrabidaea'' and ''Piriadacus'' into ''Fridericia''; ''Clytostoma, Cydista, Macranthisiphon, Mussatia, Phryganocydia, Potamoganos, Roentgenia'' and ''Saritaea'' into ''Bignonia''; also ''Distictis, Glaziovia, Haplolophium,'' and ''Pithecoctenium'' into ''Amphilophium''. Thus, 23 genera are now recognized in Bignonieae. ;
Incertae sedis or is a term used for a taxonomy (biology), taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...
* '' Astianthus'' ;Tribe Jacarandeae * ''
Jacaranda ''Jacaranda'' is a genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas while cultivated around the world. The generic name is also used as the common name. The species ' ...
'' (synonym ''Digomphia'') ;Tribe Tourrettieae * '' Eccremocarpus'' * '' Tourrettia'' ;Genus '' Argylia'' ;Tribe Tecomeae * '' Campsidium'' * '' Campsis'' * '' Deplanchea'' * '' Dinklageodoxa'' * '' Incarvillea'' * '' Lamiodendron'' * '' Neosepicaea'' * ''
Pandorea ''Pandorea'' is a genus of nine species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae and is native to Australia, Malesia, New Guinea and New Caledonia. Plants in the genus ''Pandorea'' are mostly woody climbers with Pinnation, imparipinnate l ...
'' * '' Podranea'' * '' Tecoma'' * '' Tecomanthe'' ;Genus '' Delostoma''


Tribe Bignonieae

* '' Adenocalymma'' * '' Amphilophium'' (synonym ''Distictella'') * '' Anemopaegma'' * ''
Bignonia ''Bignonia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae. Its genus and family were named after Jean-Paul Bignon by his protégé Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in 1694, and the genus was established as part of modern botanical nomen ...
'' * '' Callichlamys'' * '' Cuspidaria'' * '' Dolichandra'' * '' Fridericia'' * '' Lundia'' * '' Manaosella'' * '' Mansoa'' * '' Martinella'' * '' Neojobertia'' * '' Pachyptera'' * '' Perianthomega'' * ''
Pleonotoma ''Pleonotoma'' is a genus of tropical, Flowering plant, flowering lianas located in the family Bignoniaceae. Species *''Pleonotoma albiflora'' (Salzm. ex DC.) A.H.Gentry *''Pleonotoma bracteate'' A.H.Gentry *''Pleonotoma castelnaei'' (Bureau ...
'' * '' Pyrostegia'' * '' Stizophyllum'' * '' Tanaecium'' (synonym ''Sphingiphila'') * '' Tynanthus'' * '' Xylophragma'' ;Tribe Oroxyleae * '' Hieris'' * '' Millingtonia'' * '' Nyctocalos'' * '' Oroxylum'' ;Tribe Catalpeae * '' Chilopsis'' * ''
Catalpa ''Catalpa'' (, ), commonly also called catawba, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical regions of North America, the Caribbean, and East Asia. Description Most ''Catalpa'' are decidu ...
''


Crescentiina group


''Tabebuia'' alliance

* '' Amphitecna'' * '' Crescentia'' * '' Cybistax'' * '' Ekmanianthe'' * '' Godmania'' * ''
Handroanthus ''Handroanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Bignoniaceae.David J. Mabberley. 2008. ''Mabberley's Plant-Book'' third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK. It consists of 30 species of trees, known i ...
'' * '' Paratecoma'' * ''
Parmentiera ''Parmentiera'' is a genus of plants in the family Bignoniaceae. Species include: * ''Parmentiera aculeata'' (Kunth) L. O. Williams — guajilote (Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua) * ''Parmentiera cere ...
'' * '' Romeroa'' * '' Roseodendron'' * '' Sparattosperma'' * '' Spirotecoma'' * ''
Tabebuia ''Tabebuia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Bignoniaceae.Eberhard Fischer, Inge Theisen, and Lúcia G. Lohmann. 2004. "Bignoniaceae". pages 9-38. In: Klaus Kubitzki (editor) and Joachim W. Kadereit (volume editor) ...
'' * '' Zeyheria''


Paleotropical clade

* '' Catophractes'' * '' Colea'' (synonym ''Ophiocolea'') * '' Dolichandrone'' * '' Fernandoa'' (synonym ''Haplophragma'') * ''
Heterophragma ''Heterophragma'' is a genus of two species of tree, constituting part of the plant family Bignoniaceae. The species are found in Southeast Asia and India. Naming and classification ''Heterophragma'' is part of the Palaeotropical Clade of the B ...
'' * '' Kigelia'' * '' Markhamia'' * '' Mayodendron'' * '' Newbouldia'' * '' Pajanelia'' * '' Pauldopia'' * '' Perichlaena'' * '' Phyllarthron'' * '' Phylloctenium'' * '' Radermachera'' * '' Rhigozum'' * '' Rhodocolea'' * '' Tecomella'' * '' Santisukia'' * '' Spathodea'' * '' Stereospermum''


Obsolete genera

* ''Arrabidaea'' * ''Ceratophytum'' * ''Clytostoma'' * ''Cydista'' * ''Distictis'' * ''Gardnerodoxa'' * ''Glaziovia'' * ''Haplolophium'' * ''Leucocalantha'' * ''Macfadyena'' * ''Macranthisiphon'' * ''Melloa'' * ''Memora'' * ''Mussatia'' * ''Parabignonia'' * ''Paragonia'' * ''Periarrabidaea'' * ''Phryganocydia'' * ''Piriadacus'' * '' Pithecoctenium'' * ''Potamoganos'' * ''Pseudocatalpa'' * ''Roentgenia'' * ''Saritaea'' * ''Spathicalyx''


Uses

Many species of Bignoniaceae have some use, either commercially or ethnobotanically, but the most important, by far, are those planted as ornamentals, especially the flowering trees. ''Jacaranda, Campsis, Pyrostegia, Tabebuia, Catalpa, Roseodendron, Handroanthus'' and ''Crescentia'' all have species of
horticultural Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...
significance, at least in warm climates. Several others, including ''Tecoma, Podranea, Pandorea, Bignonia'' and ''Mansoa'' are frequently grown as ornamentals, at least in certain areas of the tropics. A great many species are known in cultivation, if only rarely. ''
Jacaranda mimosifolia ''Jacaranda mimosifolia'' is a sub-tropical tree native to south-central South America that has been widely planted elsewhere because of its attractive and long-lasting Violet (color), violet-colored flowers. It is also known as the jacaranda, b ...
'' is common as an avenue tree. The winged petiole and
trifoliate The following terms are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade is divided into two or more leaflets ...
leaf of '' Crescentia alata'' resembles a
crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...
cross, so is sometimes planted in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
as a
religious symbol A religious symbol is an iconic representation intended to represent a specific religion, or a specific concept within a given religion. Religious symbols have been used in the military in many countries, such as the United States military chap ...
. ''
Handroanthus ''Handroanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Bignoniaceae.David J. Mabberley. 2008. ''Mabberley's Plant-Book'' third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK. It consists of 30 species of trees, known i ...
'' and the unrelated '' Guaiacum'' (
Zygophyllaceae Zygophyllaceae is a family of flowering plants that contains the bean-caper and caltrop. The family includes around 285 species in 22 genera. Plants in the family Zygophyllaceae may be trees, shrubs, or herbs. They are often found in dry habit ...
) have the hardest, heaviest, and most durable wood of the American tropics. Important timber trees in ''Handroanthus'' include ''H. heptaphyllus'', ''H. serratifolius'', ''H. guayacan'', ''H. chrysanthus'', and ''H. billbergii''. '' Tabebuia rosea'' (including ''Tabebuia pentaphylla'') is harvested for
lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
throughout the
New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...
tropics. '' Tabebuia heterophylla'', and '' Tabebuia angustata'' are important sources of lumber for some of the
Caribbean islands Most of the Caribbean countries are islands in the Caribbean Sea, with only a few in inland lakes. The largest islands include Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Some of the smaller islands are referred to as a ''rock'' or ''reef.'' ''I ...
. Several species of ''Catalpa'' are also important
timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
trees. '' Paratecoma'' was once the most important timber tree of the
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
area, but relentless exploitation has brought it to the verge of extinction. Several of the rare species of Bignoniaceae produce excellent wood, but are often not recognized by
lumberjack Lumberjack is a mostly North American term for workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees. The term usually refers to loggers in the era before 1945 in the United States, when trees were felled us ...
s. Several uses of plants in Bignoniaceae are known locally. ''
Parmentiera aculeata ''Parmentiera aculeata'' (synonym ''Parmentiera edulis''), commonly known as cow okra, cuajilote, guajilote, huachilote, or pepino kat, is a species of flowering tree in the family Bignoniaceae. It is native to Mexico and Central America and is ...
'' is grown for its edible fruit in
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
and southern Mexico. The powdered seeds and sometimes the fruit pulp of '' Crescentia cujete'' and '' Crescentia alata'' are used in
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
to make a refresco called '' semilla de jicaro''.
Onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...
-scented species of ''Mansoa'' and
clove Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring, or Aroma compound, fragrance in fin ...
-scented species of ''Tynanthus'' are used as
condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to enhance the Flavoring, flavour, to complement the dish or to impart a specific flavor. Such specific flavors generally add sweetness or pungency, or sharp or piquant ...
s. In northern
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
, shavings of the stems of '' Dolichandra quadrivalvis'' are added to bait which is left overnight near the burrows of
crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...
s. The crabs are
paralyzed Paralysis (: paralyses; also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, r ...
for a few hours after eating the bait and are picked up by crabbers in the morning. The crabs recover before they reach market, and no harm from eating them has been reported. '' Tanaecium nocturnum'' is the source of a hallucinogenic
drug A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via insufflation (medicine), inhalation, drug i ...
.Christian Rätsch. 2005. ''The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants'' (translated by John R. Baker). Park Street Press: Rochester VT, USA. . Its crushed leaves and stems are used to enervate
bees Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...
while gathering
honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...
. '' Fridericia chica'' is the source of a red
pigment A pigment is a powder used to add or alter color or change visual appearance. Pigments are completely or nearly solubility, insoluble and reactivity (chemistry), chemically unreactive in water or another medium; in contrast, dyes are colored sub ...
used in the
Amazon Basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributary, tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries ...
for body paint and for
dye Juan de Guillebon, better known by his stage name DyE, is a French musician. He is known for the music video of the single "Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical ele ...
in basketry. '' Cybistax antisyphilitica'' is the source of a blue dye commonly used in
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
. The bark of '' Sparattosperma leucantha'' is used in
Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
to produce a brown dye for staining
cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...
thread. Medical claims are innumerable and usually spurious. Gentry describes an especially ludicrous example. Misidentification of plants, even by
botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...
s, continues to be a big problem for ethnobotany, and it is especially severe for Bignoniaceae.
Voucher A voucher is a bond of the redeemable transaction type which is worth a certain money, monetary value and which may be spent only for specific reasons or on specific goods. Examples include house, housing, travel, and food vouchers. The term vou ...
specimen Specimen may refer to: Science and technology * Sample (material), a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount * Biological specimen or biospecimen, an organic specimen held by a biorepository f ...
s are often
sterile Sterile or sterility may refer to: *Asepsis, a state of being free from biological contaminants * Sterile (archaeology), a sediment deposit which contains no evidence of human activity *Sterilization (microbiology), any process that eliminates or ...
and fragmentary, making them nearly impossible to identify. False medical claims are often based on mistaken identification. The bark of several species of ''Handroanthus'' is sold in South American markets. Similar-looking bark is often fraudulently passed off as ''Handroanthus''. It is used in various ways to relieve certain
symptom Signs and symptoms are diagnostic indications of an illness, injury, or condition. Signs are objective and externally observable; symptoms are a person's reported subjective experiences. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature ...
s of certain
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
s. No evidence shows it prevents the disease or slows its progression, as is often claimed. '' Adenocalymma flavida'' has been used to relieve the aching of joints and muscles. A root
extract An extract (essence) is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol, oil or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures or absolutes or dried and powdered. The aromatic principles of ma ...
from '' Martinella'' is useful in the treatment of
conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye or Madras eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, clear layer that covers the white surface of the eye and the inner eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness ...
and possibly other conditions of the eye.


References


Sources

* Alwyn H. Gentry. 1992. "Bignoniaceae: Part II (Tecomeae)". ''Flora Neotropica'' Monograph 25(2):1-150. (See ''External links'' below).


External links


Bignoniaceae
in L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards)
''The families of flowering plants''.

Distribution Map

Treesbotanical databasesAbout Science & ConservationMissouri Botanical Garden

Crescentieae and Tourrettieae
At: Flora Neotropica 25(1)
span style="color:green;"> At: Flora Neotropica
At: Organization for Flora Neotropica

tribe Tecomeae
At: Flora Neotropica 25(2)
At: Flora Neotropica
At: Organization for Flora Neotropica

Bignoniaceae economic botany

List of genera in family Bignoniaceae
At:
At:
At:
At: About the Checklist
At: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
At:
At:
At: Scientific Databases
At: Kew Gardens

Bignoniaceae
At: Advanced Search
At: Search Tool
At: iplants


In:
At: Home page of James L. Reveal & C. Rose Broome

''Bignonia''Plant NamesIPNI

CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: A-C
At:Botany & Plant Science
At:Life Science
At:CRC Press

Bignoniaceae''Genera Plantarum'' vol. 2 part 2 (Bentham & Hooker)View RecordTitles beginning with "G"TitlesBiodiversity Heritage Library

Spangler & Olmstead (1999)
{{Authority control Lamiales families