Bignoniaceae

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Trumpet-Creeper Family

Clytostoma binatum (Thunb.) Sandw., a canopy liana in the Bignoniaceae. Note the opposite compound leaves with tendrils. Un bejuco de dosel. Note las hojas compuestas y opuestas con foliolos modificados como zarcillos.

Description: The vast majority of plants with opposite compound leaves in the tropics, and the only plants with opposite compound leaves and tendrils, belong to this family. Most of the Bignoniaceae genera here are canopy lianas, with tendrils formed from modified leaflets. Almost all the Bignoniaceae lianas have 2-3 leaflets (Anemopaegma orbiculatum is an exception with five leaflets) plus tendrils. The tree Amphitecna is unusual in having simple leaves, but the flowers of all Bignoniaceae are distinctive: large, showy, and often quite fragrant, with fused 5-lobed corollas and stamens that join in the center of the flower, like the Acanthaceae.

Economic uses: Jacaranda copaia is commonly grown as an ornamental in Central America, as is the introduced and naturalized Spathodea campanulata.

Descripción: La gran mayoría de las plantas con hojas compuestas y opuestas, y las únicas con hojas compuestas y opuestas con zarcillos, son de las Bignoniaceas. Casi todas las especies aquí son bejucos leñosos, con zarcillos modificados a partir de foliolos. Usualmente tienen 2-3 foliolos (Anemopaegma orbiculatum, con cinco foliolos, es la excepción) y zarcillos. El árbol Amphitecna sólo tiene hojas simples, pero las flores de todas las Bignoniaceas son típicas: grandes, llamativas, y muchas veces con un olor muy agradable, con la corola tubular de cinco lóbulos y estambres que se unen en el centro de la flor, así como las flores de las Acanthaceas.

Usos económicos: Algunos árboles en esta familia son importantes como ornamentales: Jacaranda copaia, nativo a Centroamérica, y Spathodea campanulata, nativo al viejo mundo.

Genera/species at La Selva: 17/21: Lianas/ bejucos leñosos: Amphilophium (1), Anemopaegma (2), Arrabidaea (3), Callichlamys (1), Clytostoma (1), Distictella (1), Mansoa (1), Martinella (1), Mussatia (1), Paragonia (1), Pithecoctenium (1), Stizophyllum (1) Trees/ árboles: Amphitecna (1), Jacaranda (1), Tabebuia (2), Spathodea (1).

FIELD MARKS – opposite (or whorled), simple or compound leaves, usually opposite compound leaves that are either palmate (as in Tabebuia), bipinnate (as in Jacaranda), or imparipinnate (as in Spathodea).

Tabebuia species with opposite palmately compound leaves.	Tabebuia species with opposite palmately compound leaves.
Paragonia pyramidata is a liana with opposite compound leaves. Note the similarity of the flowers to those of temperate Catalpa trees. Photo by O. Vargas courtesy of La Flora Digital de la Selva.	Anemopaegna orbiculatum is a liana with opposite palmately compound leaves consisting of five leaflets.
Stizophyllum inqaequilaterum is a liana with opposite compound leaves with unequal leaflet bases and slight pubescence on the stems and leaves. Note the quilted (bullate) appearance of the leaf surface of Stizophyllum.	Opposite compound leaves readily identify Stizophyllum inqaequilaterum as a member of the Bignoniaceae.
Wind-dispersed winged seeds of Pithecoctenium.	Bignoniaceae lianas extending above the forest canopy are easily recognizable by the opposite compound leaves.

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