Species

Cobaea scandens

Etymology

Cobaea: Named by the Spanish botanist Antonio José Cavanilles (1745-1804) after the Spanish mssionary and naturalist Bernabé Cobo (1582-1657)
scandens: climbing; from the Latin scandere; groth habit

Common Name(s)

cathedral bells

Family

Polemoniaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

COBSCA

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Lianes and Related Trailing Plants

Habitat

Terrestrial. Potential to become a major weed in tall and undisturbed forests, natural open areas, scrub, forest remnants, hedgerows, roadsides, riverbanks, gardens, shelterbelts and undisturbed native forests (ARC, PestFacts)

Features

Evergreen, climbing vine to 6 m. Stems angled, branch tips hook-like. Leaves alternate, usually in 3 pairs of leaflets (incl small basal pair). Leaflets oval, 4-12 x 2-5 cm, dark green above, whitish below; with branched, purplish when young, woody-at-base tendrils. Mid-rib has twining tendrils. Flowers bell shaped, 6-7 cm long, green and smelly when young, becoming deep purple, Dec-May. Seed capsule 55-85 mm long, with 10-15 mm winged seeds.

Similar Taxa

This vine has distinctive large, round, purple lantern-like flowers, found on twining purplish stems. The fruit are large and oval from 6 to 10cm long, releasing winged seeds.

Flowering

(August) September - May

Flower Colours

Green,Violet / Purple

Fruiting

September-May

Year Naturalised

1946

Origin

Central & South America

Reason for Introduction

Ornamental

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Perennial

This page last updated on 30 Jul 2014