Bignonia capreolata
Encyclopedia
Bignonia capreolata is a vine
commonly referred to as crossvine. The common name refers to the cross-shaped pattern revealed when the stem is cut; this pattern results from four radial wedges of phloem
embedded within the stem’s xylem
. It is native to the central and southern United States
. The vine climbs without twining but does produce tendril
s. It produces long tubular flowers which are red and yellow and frequently have a mocha
fragrance. The leaves are dark green to almost purple and produced as opposite pairs with terminal tendrils. The vine often climbs very high, with leaves only remaining on the uppermost portion of the plant. Crossvine can spread aggressively through stolons and become invasive unless properly managed.
There was for some time confusion surrounding the name of this plant, which was apparently sometimes referred to as "Bignonia Crucigera," a name more properly referring to a different plant altogether. See Alwyn H. Gentry, Bignonia Crucigera: A Case of Mistaken Identity, Taxon 24(1): 121-123 (Feb. 1975), a relevant portion of which may be previewed here.
One 18th century report describes a medicinal use for cross-vine by the Cherokee people:
"The vines or climbing stems of the climber (Bigonia Crucigera) are equally divided longitudinally into four parts by the same number of their membranes somewhat resembling a piece of white tape by which means, when the vine is cut through and divided traversely, it presents to view the likeness of a cross. This membrane is of a sweet, pleasant taste. The country people of Carolina crop these vines to pieces, together with china brier ands sassafras roots, and boil them in their beer in the spring, for diet drink, in order to attenuate and purify the blood and juices, it is a principal ingredient in Howards famous infusion for curing the yaws, etc., the virtues and use of which he obtained from Indian Doctors."
William Bartram, Observations on the Creek and Cherokee Indians food traditions, in Transaction of the American Ethnological Society Vol. 3 Pt. 1. Extracts (1789).
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
commonly referred to as crossvine. The common name refers to the cross-shaped pattern revealed when the stem is cut; this pattern results from four radial wedges of phloem
Phloem
In vascular plants, phloem is the living tissue that carries organic nutrients , in particular, glucose, a sugar, to all parts of the plant where needed. In trees, the phloem is the innermost layer of the bark, hence the name, derived from the Greek word "bark"...
embedded within the stem’s xylem
Xylem
Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants. . The word xylem is derived from the Classical Greek word ξυλον , meaning "wood"; the best-known xylem tissue is wood, though it is found throughout the plant...
. It is native to the central and southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The vine climbs without twining but does produce tendril
Tendril
In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape that is used by climbing plants for support, attachment and cellular invasion by parasitic plants, generally by twining around suitable hosts. They do not have a lamina or blade, but they can photosynthesize...
s. It produces long tubular flowers which are red and yellow and frequently have a mocha
Cafe Mocha
A caffè mocha or café mochaAs elsewhere in coffee naming, the Italian caffè and French café are commonly found, as are the hyperforeignisms caffé and cafè, which confuse the accents. Also, in Italian, the correct spelling is Moka, used both for the city and the Moka pot. "Mocha", by contrast, is...
fragrance. The leaves are dark green to almost purple and produced as opposite pairs with terminal tendrils. The vine often climbs very high, with leaves only remaining on the uppermost portion of the plant. Crossvine can spread aggressively through stolons and become invasive unless properly managed.
There was for some time confusion surrounding the name of this plant, which was apparently sometimes referred to as "Bignonia Crucigera," a name more properly referring to a different plant altogether. See Alwyn H. Gentry, Bignonia Crucigera: A Case of Mistaken Identity, Taxon 24(1): 121-123 (Feb. 1975), a relevant portion of which may be previewed here.
One 18th century report describes a medicinal use for cross-vine by the Cherokee people:
"The vines or climbing stems of the climber (Bigonia Crucigera) are equally divided longitudinally into four parts by the same number of their membranes somewhat resembling a piece of white tape by which means, when the vine is cut through and divided traversely, it presents to view the likeness of a cross. This membrane is of a sweet, pleasant taste. The country people of Carolina crop these vines to pieces, together with china brier ands sassafras roots, and boil them in their beer in the spring, for diet drink, in order to attenuate and purify the blood and juices, it is a principal ingredient in Howards famous infusion for curing the yaws, etc., the virtues and use of which he obtained from Indian Doctors."
William Bartram, Observations on the Creek and Cherokee Indians food traditions, in Transaction of the American Ethnological Society Vol. 3 Pt. 1. Extracts (1789).