Clerodendrum thomsoniae

Clerodendrum thomsoniae Balf. f., Gard. Chron. 70. 1862; Babu, Fl. Malappuram Dist. 612. 1990; Rajendran & Daniel, Indian Verbenaceae 147. 2002; keralaplants.in

Climber or herbaceous or woody, or rarely a shrub. Branchlets slender, greyish, obtusely tetragonal, twigs slender, brown or purplish, densely puberulent; leaf scars often large and circular, borne on a prominent sterigmata, ca. 1 mm long, corky. Leaves opposite, decussate, exstipulate; petioles slender, 0.8-2.5 cm long, minutely puberulent with purplish hairs; leaf blade 6-14 cm x 3-7 cm, elliptic or elliptic-ovate, thin, chartaceous or membranous, margin entire, base rounded or subacute, apex shortly acuminate, dark green above, lighter beneath, +/- glabrous, lateral veins 5-7 on either side of midvein, veins impressed above and prominent beneath. Inflorescence axillary, cymose, abundant near apex of twigs; cymes solitary, opposite, spreading, loosely-flowered; peduncles slender, up to 6 cm long, densely puberulent; pedicels slender, 7-15 mm long, puberulent; bracts linear to ovate, up to 10 mm long, puberulent. Flowers bisexual, slightly zygomorphic, hypogynous. Calyx white, more or less pentagonal during anthesis, 1.8-2 cm long, puberulent, deeply 5-fid to 4/5th the length, lobes broadly ovate, 8-10 mm wide, apex acute or shortly acuminate. Corolla salverform; tube slender, ca. 2.5 cm long, pale yellowish-green, puberulent outside; limb 1.5-2 cm across, red, 5-lobed, lobes +/- equal, 6-10 mm x 3.5-4 mm, +/- elliptic-oblong, spreading or reflexed, apex obtuse. Stamens 4, inserted in corolla tube, didynamous to subequal, long exserted; filaments filiform, greenish white; anthers small, elliptic-oblong, bithecous, thecae parallel, longitudinal dehiscence. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary 4-lobed, 4-locular; style filiform, shorter than stamens; stigma shortly bifid.

Fruit drupaceous, glossy black externally, with a brilliant red aril uniting 4 pyrenes (Fruit not observed)

Flowering and Fruiting: December to May
Common Names: Bleeding Heart Vine, Glory Bower, Bleeding Glory Bower, Bag Flower