Commonly planted in gardens for its attractive white flowers, this
slender, herbaceous vine, native to India and Sri Lanka, often
establishes itself in thickets, in waste grounds and on roadsides.
Thunbergia commemorates Karl P. Thunberg, an eminent Swedish
traveller and botanist, who lived from 1745 to 1828; the genus was
dedicated to him by the botanist Retz in 1776. Sweet Clock-Vine
climbs to a length of 2 meters, or less, and is finely hairy. Its
leaves are rather broad, long-pointed, often coarsely few-toothed,
slender-stalked, and from 5 to 10 centimeters long. Flowers are
white, 2 inches wide and scentless. There has been lot of confusion
on why the species name is fragrans. Dr. Roxburgh, who gave the name
to this flower, says in his book, Plants of the Coast of Coromandel:
"the plant possesses a peculiar and agreeable fragrance, and the
beauty of its flowers, although not fragrant, entitle it to a place
in the flower-garden
So, the plant possesses a fragrance, but not the flowers. |
