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latexplant

bladderflower, cruel vine, moth plant, white bladderflower

Stems

to 15 m. Leaves: petiole 0.5–4 cm, eglandular-pubescent;

blade ovate, deltate, or hastate, 1.8–8 × 0.8–6 cm, base truncate to cordate, surfaces glabrous to eglandular-pubescent.

to 12 m. Leaves: petiole 0.4–5 cm, eglandular-pubescent;

blade hastate, deltate, oblong, or ovate, 0.8–14 × 0.2–6.4 cm, base truncate to cordate, surfaces glabrous to eglandular-pubescent.

Inflorescences

peduncle 0.1–0.7 cm, eglandular-pubescent.

peduncle 0.4–4.3 cm, eglandular-pubescent.

Pedicels

0.6–1.5 cm, eglandular-pubescent.

0.4–1.4 cm, eglandular-pubescent.

Flowers

sepals green, lanceolate to oblong, not leaflike, 5–13 × 1–3 mm, surfaces eglandular-pubescent;

calycine colleters present;

corolla pale to waxy green, rotate, lobes 7–13 × 2–4 mm, abaxial surface eglandular-pubescent, adaxial surface glabrous;

gynostegial corona a fused tube, 5–8 mm, obscuring gynostegium, glabrous;

style-head extension absent.

sepals green, ovate, leaflike, 8–15 × 3–7 mm, surfaces eglandular-pubescent;

calycine colleters absent;

corolla white or light pink, funnelform, tube 12.1–15.9 × 5.5–9.8 mm, abaxial surface eglandular-pubescent, adaxial surface glabrous except eglandular-pubescent at base, lobes 6.4–9.6 × 4.5–5.4 mm, abaxial surface eglandular-pubescent, adaxial surface glabrous;

gynostegial corona of 5 distinct staminal elements, revolute, oblong or quadrate, 2.5–3.9 × 1–2 mm, not fused into tube, not obscuring gynostegium, glabrous;

style-head extension 2-fid, 3.5 mm.

Seeds

brownish black to black, 5–6 × 1.5–2 mm;

coma 2–5 cm.

brown, 5–7 × 2–3 mm;

coma 2.2–5.2 cm.

Follicles

8–12 × 2–7 cm, glabrous.

4.2–12.5 × 1.6–5.7 cm, minutely eglandular-pubescent.

2n

= 22.

= 20.

Araujia odorata

Araujia sericifera

Phenology Flowering summer–fall; fruiting fall–winter. Flowering summer–fall; fruiting fall–winter.
Habitat Citrus groves, roadsides, waste places, dunes, beaches. Chap­arral, woodlands, citrus groves, urban/suburban dis­turbed sites.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.) 100–400 m. (300–1300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; South America [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Central America]
from FNA
AZ; CA; South America [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Central America, Europe, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Native to central South America, Araujia odorata was introduced to the United States as an ornamental in the 1930s and first observed in a citrus grove in Florida in 1957 (D. P. H. Tucker and R. L. Phillips 1974; D. L. Spellman and C. R. Gunn 1976).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The naturalization of Araujia sericifera in the flora area has been substantiated only for Arizona and California, although it has also been reported for Georgia (J. T. Kartesz, http://www.bonap.org/MapSwitchboard.html). A recent risk assessment estimates that about one-third of the United States presents suitable habitat for the species (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [U.S.D.A.] 2012).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Apocynaceae > Araujia Apocynaceae > Araujia
Sibling taxa
A. sericifera
A. odorata
Synonyms Cynanchum odoratum, Morrenia odorata
Name authority (Hooker & Arnott) Fontella & Goyder: Phytotaxa 26: 11. (2011) Brotero: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 12: 62, plates 4, 5. (1818) — (as sericofera)
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