Radermachera is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of 15-16 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of flowering plant

Flowering plant

The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...

s in the family Bignoniaceae

Bignoniaceae

The Bignoniaceae, or Trumpet Creeper Family, is a family of flowering plants comprising about 650-750 species in 116-120 genera. Members of the family are mostly trees and lianas , shrubs and more rarely herbaceous plants. As climber plants, they are twine climbers or tendril climbers, and rarely...

, native to southeastern Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

. They are evergreen

Evergreen

In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...

 tree

Tree

A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...

s reaching 5-40 m tall, with bipinnate or tripinnate leaves

Leaf

A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....

, and panicles of large bell-shaped, white, pink, pale purple or yellow flower

Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...

s 5-7 cm diameter.

The genus is named after Jacob Cornelis Matthieu Radermacher

Jacob Cornelis Matthieu Radermacher

Jacob Cornelis Matthieu Radermacher was a Dutch botanist and author.Radermacher was born in The Hague, Holland. He was an officer of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia as well as a talented naturalist...

, the 18th century Dutch naturalist who cataloged much of the flora of Java and Sumatra.

Selected species

• Radermachera frondosa Chun & How
• Radermachera eberhardtii Dop
• Radermachera gigantea Miquel
• Radermachera glandulosa (Blume) Miquel
• Radermachera hainanensis Merrill
• Radermachera ignea (Kurz) Steenis
• Radermachera microcalyx C. Y. Wu & W. C. Yin
• Radermachera peninsularis Steenis
• Radermachera pentandra Hemsley
• Radermachera pinnata (Blanco) Seem.
• Radermachera ramiflora
  Radermachera ramiflora
  Radermachera ramiflora is a species of plant in the Bignoniaceae family. It is endemic to Malaysia.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
  
  Steenis
• Radermachera sinica
  Radermachera sinica
  Radermachera sinica is an evergreen tree in the family Bignoniaceae, native to the subtropical mountain regions of southern China and Taiwan. It can reach heights of up to 30 m tall and a trunk diameter of 1 m...
  
  (Hance) Hemsley
• Radermachera xylocarpa (Roxb.) K. Schum
• Radermachera yunnanensis C. Y. Wu & W. C. Yin

Cultivation and uses

R. sinica

Radermachera sinica

Radermachera sinica is an evergreen tree in the family Bignoniaceae, native to the subtropical mountain regions of southern China and Taiwan. It can reach heights of up to 30 m tall and a trunk diameter of 1 m...

has become a popular houseplant

Houseplant

A houseplant is a plant that is grown indoors in places such as residences and offices. Houseplants are commonly grown for decorative purposes, positive psychological effects, or health reasons such as indoor air purification...

, grown for its decorative foliage.