Bengal trumpet (Thunbergia grandiflora)

Bengal trumpet (Thunbergia grandiflora) is a species of plant in the Acanthaceae, herbaceous, climbing, up to 20 meters long, long root system with deep taproot. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, rough surface and variable size.

The leaves are triangular or oval or 7-cornered and the margins are serrated or wavy or plain. The length and width of the leaves are up to 20 cm. The flowers are blue and mauve in color, up to 9 cm wide and the tube is 4 cm long. The pods contain seeds that scatter up to several meters when ripe.



TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Subfamily: Thunbergioideae
Tribe: Thunbergieae
Genus: Thunbergia Retz. in Physiogr. Sälsk. Handl. 1: 163 (1780)
Species: Thunbergia grandiflora Roxb. in Bot. Reg. 6: 6 (1820)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Pleuremidis grandiflora (Roxb.) Raf. in Fl. Tellur. 4: 67 (1838)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Flemingia grandiflora Roxb. ex Rottler in Neue Schriften Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin 4: 202 (1803)
Thunbergia adenophora W.W.Sm. in Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 10: 74 (1917)
Thunbergia chinensis Merr. in Philipp. J. Sci. 21: 510 (1922)
Thunbergia clarkei T.Yamaz. in J. Jap. Bot. 46: 52 (1971)
Thunbergia cordifolia Nees in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 11: 55 (1847)
Thunbergia grandiflora f. alba Leonard in Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 31: 679 (1958)
Thunbergia grandiflora var. axillaris C.B.Clarke in J.D.Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 4: 392 (1884)
Thunbergia grandiflora f. citrina Leonard (1958)
Thunbergia grandiflora var. cordiflora Benoist (1935)
Thunbergia grandiflora var. racemosa Nees (1847)
Thunbergia lacei Gamble in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1913: 116 (1913)
Thunbergia malvifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Wall. in Numer. List: n.° 768 (1829)
Thunbergia talbotiae S.Moore in J. Bot. 52: 31 (1914)

PUBLICATIONS

(2021). https://moip-bio.msu.ru/wp-content/uploads/korshunov-bulletin-of-moscow-society-of-naturalists-126-6-2021.47-53.pdf. epublication.

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.

Adhikari, B., Pendry, C.A., Watson, M.F. & Wood, J.R.I. (2013). An account of Thunbergia (Acanthaceae) in Nepal, with a description of the new species T. nepalensis. Kew Bulletin 68: 651-661. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.

Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.

Balick, M. J., M. H. Nee & D.E. Atha (2000). Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 85: 1-246.

Barthelat, F. (2019). La flore illustrée de Mayotte: 1-687. Biotope éditions.

Bosser, J. & al. (eds.) (2000). Flore des Mascareignes 127-135: 1. IRD Éditions, MSIRI, RBG-Kew, Paris.

Choudhary, R.K., Srivastava, R.C., Das, A.K. & Lee, J. (2012). Floristic diversity assessment and vegetation analysis of Upper Siang district of eastern Himalaya in North East India. Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy 42: 222-246.

Dassanayake (ed.) (1998). A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon 12: 1-390. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. PVT. LTD., New Delhi, Calcutta.

Deng, Y.F., Li, Z.Y., Wang, Q. & Peng, H. (2020). Flora of Pan-Himalaya 46: 1-570. Science Press, Beijing. Cambridge University Press.

Fairhurst, W. (2004). Flowering Plants of Ascension island: 1-300. Higham Press, Shirland, Alfreton, England.

Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1979). A geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 15: 41-295.

Grierson, A.J.C. & Long, D.G. (2001). Flora of Bhutan 2: 1-1675. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Jones, M. (1991). A checklist of Gambian plants: 1-33. Michael Jones, The Gambia College.

Jørgensen, P.M. & León-Yánez, S. (eds.) (1999). Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Ecuador. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 75: i-viii, 1-1181. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Kotiya, A., Solanki, Y. & Reddy, G.V. (2020). Flora of Rajasthan: 1-769. Rajasthan state biodiversity board.

Kress, W.J., DeFilipps, R.A., Farr, E. & Kyi, D.Y.Y. (2003). A Checklist of the Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Climbers of Myanmar. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 45: 1-590. Smithsonian Institution.

Lejoy, J., Ndjele, M.-B. & Geerinck, D. (2010). Catalogue-flore des plantes vasculaires des districts de Kisangani et de la Tshopo (RD Congo). Taxonomania 30: 1-307.

Lê, T.C. (2005). Danh lục các loài thực vật Việt Nam 3: 1-1248. Hà Nội : Nhà xuất bản Nông nghiệp.

Muer, T., Sauerbier, H. & Cabrara Calixto, F. (2020). Die Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Madeiras: 1-792. Verlag und Versandbuchhandlung Andreas Kleinsteuber.

Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Newman, M., Ketphanh, S., Svengsuksa, B., Thomas, P., Sengdala, K., Lamxay, V. & Armstrong, K. (2007). A checklist of the vascular plants of Lao PDR: 1-394. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Ningombam, D.S. (2014). The family Acanthaceae for the flora of Manipur: 1-115. LAP Lambert academic publishing.

Nurtjahya, E. & al. (2026). Flowering Plants of Bangka Island: Native and Introduced. Acta Botanica Hungarica 68: 127-156.

Onana, J.M. (2011). The vascular plants of Cameroon a taxonomic checklist with IUCN assessments: 1-195. National herbarium of Cameroon, Yaoundé.

Rajbhandari, K.R., Rai, S.K. & Chhetri, R. (2022). A Handbook of the Flowering Plants of Nepal 4: 1-522. Department of Plant Resources, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Sarmah, K.K. & Borthakur, S.K. (2009). A checklist of angiospermic plants of Manas national park in Assam, India. Pleione 3: 190-200.

Smith, A.C. (1991). Flora Vitiensis Nova. A new flora for Fiji (Spermatophytes only) 5: 1-626. Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai.

Sosef, M.S.M. & al. (2006). Check-list des plantes vasculaires du Gabon. Scripta Botanica Belgica 35: 1-438.

Sykes, W.R. (2016). Flora of the Cook Islands: 1-973. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii.

Wagner, W.L., Herbst, D.R. & Sohmer, S.H. (1999). Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i, rev. ed., 1: 1-988. University of Hawai'i Press, Bishop Museum Press.

Welsh, S.L. (1998). Flora Societensis: 1-420. E.P.S. Inc. Utah.

Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2011). Flora of China 19: 1-884. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri Botanical Garden Press (St. Louis).

Zuloaga, F.O., Morrone, O. , Belgrano, M.J., Marticorena, C. & Marchesi, E. (eds.) (2008). Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 107: 1-3348. Missouri Botanical Garden.

VERNACULAR NAME

Adi: Cocoriang, Kingoreib
Ahom: Hetaloti, Kaurithutia Lota
Assamese: Hetaloti, Kaurithutia Lota, Kukua Loti, Nonong
Bengali: নীল লতা Neel Lota
Bodo: Serfa
Chinese (Simplified): 大花老鸭嘴 - 山牵牛
Chinese (Traditional): 大鄧伯花 - 大花老鴉嘴
Czech: Thunbergie velkokvětá
Danish: Blå slangeblomst
Dogri: Neelgaas
Dutch: Grootbloemige Thunbergia
English: Bengal trumpet, Blue trumpetvine, Large-flowered thunbergia, Blue trumpet vine, Blue sky vine, Bengal clock vine, Bengal trumpet vine, Blue sky flower, Bengal clockvine, Clockvine, Blue skyflower, Blue thunbergia, Skyvine, Heavenly blue, Giant thunbergia, Green trumpet vine, Large flowered thunbergia, Bengal clockvine, Blue trumpetvine, Skyflower and skyvine
Finnish: Kellosusanna
French: Thunbergie à grandes fleurs
Garo: Khakkhu
Guangdong: 大鄧伯花 - 大花老鴉嘴
Hajong: Nul-Lata
Hebrew: תונברגיה גדולת-פרחים
Hindi: नील लता Neel Lata
Hong Kong: 大鄧伯花 - 大花老鴉嘴
Indonesian: Bunga madia
Japanese: ベンガルヤハズカズラ - ウリバローレルカズラ
Kachari: Dumangkhlong, Tumakhlung
Kannada: Dodda Hegala Balli
Karbi: Nong-Nonga-Rikang
Khasi: Jermie-Khnong, Syntew-Jarmi-Chankhnow
Kokborok: Vako
Kui: Chhota Ghanti
Kuki: Thang-Wakoi
Lithuanian: Didžiažiedė tunbergija
Macao: 大鄧伯花 - 大花老鴉嘴
Malaysia: Akar patut tuau
Manipuri: Sambal Khudop
Mech: Dengkhakhlu
Mizo: Va-Ko, Vakohrui, Zawngafian
Nagamese: Loyga
Nepali: काग छुन्छे - काग फुले - कनेसी लहरा Kaag Chuchche, Kaag Phulee, Kanesi Laharaa
Nyishi: Piji
Polish: Tunbergia wielkokwiatowa
Portuguese: Tumbérgia-azul
Rabha: Bakhor Lewa
Russian: Тунбергия крупноцветковая
Slovak tunbergia veľkokvetá
Southern Africa: Bengal clockvine
Spanish: Emperatriz, Flor de cera, Tumbergia trepadora
Taiwan: 大花老鴉嘴 - 大鄧伯花
Tamil: வன்கால கட்டிகாரக் கோட்டி Vankaala Katikaarak Koti
Thai: สร้อยอินทนิล
Tulu: Malla Pugelu Ballu

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