Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Bignoniaceae
Genus: Tecomaria
Species: T. capensis.
Binomial name: Tecomaria capensis
Synonyms: Tecoma capensis, Bignonia capensis, Tecoma petersii.
Common name: Cape honeysuckle, Fire flower, Flame vine, Red tecoma, Tecoma
Tecoma capensis is a semi-erect, partially scandent, flowering, shrub species native to southern Africa (i.e. South Africa and Swaziland) and southern Mozambique. It grows to 2–4 m in height. Normally it is evergreen, it may lose its leaves in colder climates. In certain habitats, it may scramble by shooting out long growth tips which lean on the stems and branches of other plants, as well as boulders, trellises, fences and walls.
It has a many-flowered terminal raceme with orange-red tubular flowers that are about 7.5 cm long. They are a deep yellow inside the tube.
The leaves are opposite, slightly serrated and are up to 15 cm long. They are green to dark-green in colour and are pinnate with 5 to 9 oblong leaflets.
Dispersal is by seeds from its 6 cm long, flattened, and leathery capsules.
In New Zealand, Tecoma capensis in some areas is classed as a weed due to its scrambling habit. It is found in the warmer areas of New Zealand where it is a common hedge plant. Wild plants can form dense thickets that smother other plants.
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
