Petrea volubilis Illustration Credit: Fauzia

Shrub, twining to suberect, up to 6 m tall, hairy. Leaves elliptic, ovate-elliptic to oblong, 5-20 cm long, 2.5-10 cm broad, asperous, entire or wavy at margin, usually acute; petiole 1-1.5 cm long. Racemes terminal, up to 30 cm long. Flowers blue or pale violet; pedicel 7-8 mm long. Calyx petaloid, tube 2-3 mm long, lobes 12-18 mm long, 4-6 mm broad, oblong; throat scales triangular, acute. Corolla salver-shaped, bright blue, tube infundibuliform., pubescent above and densely hairy near stamen insertion within; anterior lobe largest. Fruit somewhat obovate-oblong, enclosed within the hardened calyx.

Fl.Per. March-May.

Type: Hab. in America; Herb. Linn.718/1 (LINN).

Distribution: A native of tropical America, introduced and widely cultivated as an ornamental.

The ‘Purple-wreath’ is sometimes cultivated in our gardens for its beautiful, showy, stellate flowers.