Thunbergia alata

Thunbergia alata, commonly called black-eyed Susan vine,[2] is a herbaceous perennial climbing plant species in the family Acanthaceae. 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[3] and in Puerto Rico.[4]

Black-eyed Susan vine
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Thunbergia
Species:
T. alata
Binomial name
Thunbergia alata
Synonyms[1]
  • Endomelas alata (Bojer ex Sims) Raf.

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 other species of flowers in the genus Rudbeckia.

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 twining stems with heart or arrow-shaped leaves. The flowers have five petals and appear throughout the growing season. They typically are warm orange with a characteristic dark spot in the centre, although 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.[2]

Cultivation

Thunbergia alata seed is easy to germinate in humus-rich soil with some sand. Soaking the seeds in a dish of warm water over night will help improve seed germination when planted. It is a fast grower, blooming quickly, with light trimming encouraging more blossoms.[2]

  • Flowers and leaves
  • Flower (bract removed)
  • A young plant being trained to grow on a trellis feeder wire
  • Seed - diameter is appr. 4 mm.
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References
  1. The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 16 February 2017
  2. PlantZAfrica.com
  3. "Classification - USDA PLANTS". Plants USDA Gov.
  4. Mari Mutt, José A.; Almodóvar Rivera, José R. "Animales y plantas con historias" (PDF). Ediciones Digitales (in Spanish). University of Mayaguez.
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