''Radermachera'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of about 17

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), ...

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 family

Bignoniaceae Bignoniaceae () is a Family (biology), family of flowering plants in the Order (biology), order Lamiales commonly known as the bignonias or trumpet vines.Vernon H. Heywood, Richard K. Brummitt, Ole Seberg, and Alastair Culham. ''Flowering Plant ...

, native to southeastern

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

. They are

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

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 reaching 5–40 m tall, with bipinnate or tripinnate

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, ...

, and panicles of large bell-shaped, white, pink, pale purple or yellow

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 5–7 cm diameter. The genus is named after Jacob Cornelis Matthieu Radermacher, the 18th century Dutch naturalist who cataloged much of the flora of Java and Sumatra.

Species

, ''

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

'' recognises 17 accepted species: *'' Radermachera boniana'' *'' Radermachera coriacea'' *'' Radermachera eberhardtii'' *'' Radermachera frondosa'' *'' Radermachera gigantea'' *'' Radermachera glandulosa'' *'' Radermachera hainanensis'' *'' Radermachera inflata'' *'' Radermachera microcalyx'' *'' Radermachera peninsularis'' *'' Radermachera pentandra'' *'' Radermachera quadripinnata'' *'' Radermachera ramiflora'' *''

Radermachera sinica ''Radermachera sinica'', also called china doll, serpent tree or emerald tree,China ...

'' *'' Radermachera stellata'' *'' Radermachera xylocarpa'' *'' Radermachera yunnanensis''

Cultivation and uses

Radermachera sinica ''Radermachera sinica'', also called china doll, serpent tree or emerald tree,China ...

'' has become a popular

houseplant A houseplant, also known as a pot plant, potted plant, or indoor plant, is an ornamental plant cultivated indoors. for aesthetic or practical purposes. These plants are commonly found in House, homes, Office, offices, and various indoor spaces, w ...

, grown for its decorative foliage. ''Radermachera'' sp. 'Kunming' sold under the tradename 'Summerscent' is a fast growing, scented, trending plant in Australia. Useful as an informal screen (pruning aggressively after flowering) or a small tree if trained to a single trunk (cinture before flowering to maximise flower production and reduce crown after flowering).

References

Flora of China: ''Radermachera''Radermachera eberhardtii (Bignoniaceae), a new record for Thailand
''Thai Forest. Bull. (Bot.)'' 31: 129–131. 2003 (pdf file). Bignoniaceae genera Taxa named by Heinrich Zollinger Taxa named by Alexander Moritzi {{Bignoniaceae-stub