Clerodendrum Excavatum

''Clerodendrum'' is a genus of flowering plants formerly placed in the family Verbenaceae, but now considered to belong to the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Its common names include glorybower, bagflower and bleeding-heart. It is currently classified in the subfamily Ajugoideae, being one of several genera transferred from Verbenaceae to Lamiaceae in the 1990s, based on phylogenetic analysis of morphological and molecular data.

Estimates of the number of species in ''Clerodendrum'' vary widely, from about 150Yao-Wu Yuan, David J. Mabberley, Dorothy A. Steane, and Richard G. Olmstead. 2010. "Further disintegration and redefinition of ''Clerodendrum'' (Lamiaceae): Implications for the understanding of the evolution of an intriguing breeding strategy". ''Taxon'' 59(1):125-133. to about 450.Raymond M. Harley, Sandy Atkins, Andrey L. Budantsev, Philip D. Cantino, Barry J. Conn, Renée J. Grayer, Madeline M. Harley, Rogier P.J. de Kok, Tatyana V. Krestovskaja, Ramón Morales, Alan J. Paton, and P. Olof Ryding. 2004. "Labiatae" pages 167-275. In: Klaus Kubitzki (editor) and Joachim W. Kadereit (volume editor). ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants'' volume VII. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; Heidelberg, Germany. This is partly because about 30 species have been transferred to ''Rotheca'',Dorothy A. Steane and David J. Mabberley. 1998. "''Rotheca'' (Lamiaceae) Revived". ''Novon'' 8(2):204-206.Rosette B. Fernandes and Bernard Verdcourt. 2000. "''Rotheca'' (Labiatae) revived - more new combinations". ''Kew Bulletin'' 55(1):147-154. about 30 more to ''Volkameria'', and 1 to ''Ovieda''. The type species for the genus is ''Clerodendrum infortunatum''.''Clerodendrum'' In: Index Nominum Genericorum. In: Regnum Vegetabile (see ''External links'' below). It is native to Sri Lanka and the Andaman Islands.Anthony J. Huxley, Mark Griffiths, and Margot Levy (editors). 1992. ''The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening.'' The Macmillan Press Limited, London; The Stockton Press, New York.

The genus is native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the world, with most of the species occurring in tropical Africa and southern Asia, but with a few in the tropical Americas and northern Australasia, and a few extending north into the temperate zone in eastern Asia.David J. Mabberley. 2008. ''Mabberley's Plant-Book'' third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK.

They are shrubs, lianas, and small trees, usually growing to tall, with opposite or whorled leaves. '' C. floribundum'' can grow to tall. '' Clerodendrum fistulosum'' and ''Clerodendrum myrmecophila'' have hollow stems that are inhabited by ants. ''Clerodendrum trichotomum'' is a common ornamental in warmer parts of the world. Eight other species are also grown in the tropics for their abundant and attractive flowers.George W. Staples and Derral R. Herbst "A Tropical Garden Flora" Bishop Museum Press: Honolulu (2005) One of these, ''Clerodendrum macrostegium'', suckers abundantly from the roots, often producing a thicket within a few years.

The following species are cultivated in the UK:
* ''C. chinense''
* ''C. splendens''
* ''C. thomsoniae''
* ''C. trichotomum''

''Clerodendrum'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including ''Endoclita malabaricus'' and '' Endoclita sericeus.'' Both butterflies and hummingbirds are often attracted to blooming clerodendrum.

Description

The following description is based on the one by Yuan et alii (2010) and applies to only the monophyletic circumscription of ''Clerodendrum''.

''Clerodendrum'' is a genus of small trees, shrubs, lianas, and subherbaceous perennials. Leaves decussate or whorled, never spiny as in some close relatives.

Inflorescence usually terminal. Sepals usually connate, often colored, usually accrescent. Corolla red to yellow, pink, or white. Corolla tube 5-lobed, the lobes usually unequal.

Stamen