Thunbergia alata
Encyclopedia
Thunbergia alata, commonly called Black-eyed Susan vine, is a herbaceous perennial climbing plant species in the Acanthaceae
family. It is native to Eastern Africa, and has been naturalized in other parts of the world. It is found in Cerrado
vegetation
of Brazil
and Hawaii
, along with eastern Australia
and the southern USA in the states of Texas
and Florida
.
It is grown as an ornamental plant
in gardens and in hanging baskets. The name 'Black-eyed Susan' is thought to have come from a character that figures in many traditional ballads and songs. In the Ballad of Black-eyed Susan by John Gay
, Susan goes aboard a ship in-dock to ask the sailors, where her lover Sweet William
has gone. Black-eyed Susan is also a name given to another species of flowers - Rudbeckia
.
. Black-eyed Susans are also known for producing flowers as early as six weeks after germination.
Soft five-petal blooms appear in late Spring/early Summer, mid Summer and again in late Summer, early Autumn (Fall). The leaves are heart shaped dicotyledon
s and the plant is an evergreen perennial. The plant is self-propagating but propagation methods for gardeners include herbaceous stem cuttings, and from seed. In the northern hemisphere seed is sown indoors before last frost and direct sowing after the last frost of the season.
To collect seeds, seedheads are allowed to dry on plants before removal and seed collection.
Synonym
Acanthaceae
The family Acanthaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species....
family. It is native to Eastern Africa, and has been naturalized in other parts of the world. It is found in Cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, along with eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the southern USA in the states of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
It is grown as an ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
in gardens and in hanging baskets. The name 'Black-eyed Susan' is thought to have come from a character that figures in many traditional ballads and songs. In the Ballad of Black-eyed Susan by John Gay
John Gay
John Gay was an English poet and dramatist and member of the Scriblerus Club. He is best remembered for The Beggar's Opera , set to music by Johann Christoph Pepusch...
, Susan goes aboard a ship in-dock to ask the sailors, where her lover Sweet William
Sweet William
Dianthus barbatus is a species of Dianthus native to southern Europe and parts of Asia which has become a popular ornamental garden plant. It is a herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial plant growing to 30–75 cm tall, with flowers in a dense cluster of up to 30 at the top of the stems...
has gone. Black-eyed Susan is also a name given to another species of flowers - Rudbeckia
Rudbeckia
Rudbeckia is a plant genus of 23 species in the family Asteraceae. The species are commonly called coneflowers and black-eyed-susans; all are native to North America and many species are cultivated in gardens for their showy yellow or gold flower heads.The species are herbaceous, mostly perennial...
.
Description
Thunbergia alata has a vine habit, and can grow to a height of 6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m) in tropical zones, or much less as a container plant or as an annual. It has twinning stems with heart or arrow-shaped leaves. It favours sun to partial shade. The flowers typically are warm orange with characteristic dark spot in the centre. However, different varieties can be red, orange, red-orange, white, pale yellow, or bright yellow, with or without the characteristic chocolate-purple centre which inspires the common name. Black-eyed Susans are also known for producing flowers as early as six weeks after germination.
Growth and care
Dicotyledon
The dicotyledons, also known as dicots, are a group of flowering plants whose seed typically has two embryonic leaves or cotyledons. There are around 199,350 species within this group...
s and the plant is an evergreen perennial. The plant is self-propagating but propagation methods for gardeners include herbaceous stem cuttings, and from seed. In the northern hemisphere seed is sown indoors before last frost and direct sowing after the last frost of the season.
To collect seeds, seedheads are allowed to dry on plants before removal and seed collection.
SynonymSynonymSynonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
s
- Endomelas alata ( ex Sims) Raf.
- Thunbergia alata ex Sims var. fryeri (Vilm.) Hasselbr.
- Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims var. albiflora Kuntze
- Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims var. aurantiaca Kuntze
- Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims var. bakeri Hasselbr.
- Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims var. vixalata Burkill
- Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims var. lutea Hasselbr.
- Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims var. reticulata (Hochst. ex Nees) Burkill
- Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims subvar. doddsii (PaxtonPaxton-United Kingdom:* Great Paxton, England* Little Paxton, England* Paxton, Scottish Borders, UK* Paxton House, Berwickshire, Scotland* Paxton's Tower, near the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Carmarthenshire, Wales-United States:* Paxton, California...
) Hasselbr. - Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims var. sulphurea Hasselbr.
- Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims var. albiflora Hook.
- Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims var. alba Paxton
- Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims var. retinervia Burkill
- Thunbergia albiflora (Hook.) GordonGeorge Gordon (botanist)George Gordon was a British botanist. He worked for the London Horticultural Society as Foreman of the Horticultoral Society Gardens at Chiswick, near London....
- Thunbergia aurantiaca Paxton
- Thunbergia backeri Vilm.
- Thunbergia doddsii Paxton
- Thunbergia fryeri Vilm.
- Thunbergia manganjensis T.Anderson ex LindauLindauLindau is a Bavarian town and an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance, the Bodensee. It is the capital of the Landkreis or rural district of Lindau. The historic city of Lindau is located on an island which is connected with the mainland by bridge and railway.- History :The name Lindau was...
- Thunbergia reticulata Hochst. ex Nees