Araujia sericifera |
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bladderflower, cruel vine, moth plant, white bladderflower |
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Stems | 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 0.4–4.3 cm, eglandular-pubescent. |
Pedicels | 0.4–1.4 cm, eglandular-pubescent. |
Flowers | 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 | brown, 5–7 × 2–3 mm; coma 2.2–5.2 cm. |
Follicles | 4.2–12.5 × 1.6–5.7 cm, minutely eglandular-pubescent. |
2n | = 20. |
Araujia sericifera |
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Phenology | Flowering summer–fall; fruiting fall–winter. |
Habitat | Chaparral, woodlands, citrus groves, urban/suburban disturbed sites. |
Elevation | 100–400 m. [300–1300 ft.] |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; South America [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Central America, Europe, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia]
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Discussion | 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. |
Parent taxa | |
Sibling taxa | |
Name authority | Brotero: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 12: 62, plates 4, 5. (1818) — (as sericofera) |
Web links |