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Dolichandra unguis-cati

(L.) L.G.Lohmann (2008)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Lamiales Family: Bignoniaceae Genus: Dolichandra

cat's claw climber, cat's-claw climber

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Lianas, growing closely appressed to supporting structures, climbing by means of recurved tendrils representing modified leaflets; up to 15 m or more long.

Stems:

Roots: Often rooting at the nodes.

Leaves: Leaves compound. Opposite. Blades dimorphic, juvenile plants with small leaflets 1–2 cm long, 0.4–0.8 cm wide, mature leaflets narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 5–16 cm long, 1.2–6.9 cm wide. Surfaces sparsely lepidote; drying dark green to nearly black. tendril deciduous, 3–forked, 0.1–3.5 cm long, each fork bearing a small horny hook. Petiolate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers usually in axillary clusters of 1–3(–15). Flowers bisexual (perfect), usually large and showy. Calyx cup-like, 0.1–1.8 cm long, glabrous to sparsely lepidote, margins crenulate–undulate. Corolla zygomorphic, sometimes strongly so, often bilabiate, rarely nearly actinomorphic, 5-lobed; yellow with ca. 9 orange lines in the throat, tubular-campanulate, 4.5–10 cm long, 1.2–2.4 cm wide at the mouth, the tube 3.3–6.9 cm long, puberulent within along the throat ridges. Stamens 4; in pairs, with an additional staminode, occasionally only 2 Stamens fertile with 3 staminodes, rarely 5 fertile stamens; filaments attached to corolla tube, alternate with the lobes; anthers usually dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 2-carpellate, with as many cells, sometimes 1-celled or 4-celled, placentation axile or in 1-celled ovary with 2 or 4 intruded parietal placentas, 4-angled; ovules in 2–4 series per cell, anatropous or hemitropous, often erect; style 1; stigma 2-lobed.

Fruit: Fruit a narrow; linear; compressed capsules; the valves parallel to the septum; smooth externally; capsules drying blackish; linear; flattened; tapering at both ends; 26–95 cm long; 1–2 cm in diameter; inconspicuously lepidote. Seeds 1–1.8 cm long; 4.2–5.8 cm wide; flat with 2 wings; the wings membranous; not sharply demarcated from the seed body; endosperm absent; rarely present and oily.

Ploidy: 2n = 40; 80

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Synonyms (48)

Batocydia exoleta Mart. ex DC. (1845)
Batocydia unguis Mart. ex DC. (1845)
Batocydia unguis-cati (L.) Mart. ex Britton (1925)
Bignonia acutistipula Schltdl. (1854)
Bignonia californica Brandegee (1903)
Bignonia catharinensis Schenck (1892)
Bignonia dasyonyx S.F.Blake (1917)
Bignonia exoleta Vell. (1829)
Bignonia gracilis G.Lodd. (1831)
Bignonia inflata Griseb. (1879)
Bignonia lanuginosa Hemsl. (1882)
Bignonia pseudounguis Desf. (1829)
Bignonia rodigasiana L.Linden (1893)
Bignonia triantha DC. (1845)
Bignonia tweediana Lindl. (1840)
Bignonia tweedieana Lindl. (1840)
Bignonia unguis L. (1759)
Bignonia unguis var. gracilis (G.Lodd.) DC. (1845)
Bignonia unguis-cati L. (1753)
Bignonia unguis-cati var. exoleta (Vell.) Sprague (1905)
Bignonia unguis-cati var. guatemalensis K.Schum. & Loes. (1896)
Bignonia unguis-cati var. radicans DC. (1845)
Bignonia unguis-cati var. serrata Bureau & K.Schum. (1896)
Bignonia vespertilia Barb.Rodr. (1891)
Dolichandra kohautiana C.Presl (1845)
Doxantha acutistipula (Schltdl.) Miers (1863)
Doxantha adunca Miers (1863)
Doxantha chelephora Miers (1863)
Doxantha dasyonyx (S.F.Blake) S.F.Blake (1923)
Doxantha exoleta (Vell.) Miers (1863)
Doxantha lanuginosa (Hemsl.) Miers (1863)
Doxantha mexicana Miers (1863)
Doxantha praesignis Miers (1863)
Doxantha radicans (DC.) Miers (1863)
Doxantha serrulata Miers (1863)
Doxantha tenuicula Miers (1863)
Doxantha torquata Miers (1863)
Doxantha tweedieana (Lindl.) Miers (1863)
Doxantha unguis
Doxantha unguis var. microphylla Chodat (1917)
Doxantha unguis-cati (L.) Miers (1863)
Doxantha unguis-cati var. dasyonyx (S.F.Blake) Seibert (1940)
Doxantha unguis-cati var. exoleta (Vell.) Fabris (1965)
Doxantha unguis-cati var. microphylla Chodat (1917)
Macfadyena undulata K.Schum. (1894)
Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) A.H.Gentry (1973)
Microbignonia auristellae Kraenzl. (1915)
Spathodea kohautiana (C.Presl) Walp. (1838)

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Potentially naturalizing
Lana'i Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Water/Ocean
Wind

Vegetative Reproduction

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: O.Hokche, P.E.Berry & O.Huber (eds.), Nuevo Cat. Fl. Vasc. Venezuela: 273 (2008)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:388 (K, O, L [as Macfadyena unguis-cati]); Imada et al. 2000:10 (H); Oppenheimer & Bartlett 2000:2 (WM); Starr et al. 2002:18 (H); Staples & Herbst 2005:181 (KEY), 183 (DESCR); Lohmann & Taylor 2014:431 (Syn. M. unguis-cati = D. unguis-cati); Oppenheimer & Pezzillo 2024:58 (Mo)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Dolichandra unguis-cati unknown Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. BISH
2 Dolichandra unguis-cati Honolulu, Manoa Valley Preserved_Specimen Wilder, G.P. Oahu BISH 1930-05-01
3 Dolichandra unguis-cati Honolulu, Kalihi, Bishop Museum, on building Preserved_Specimen Christophersen, E. Oahu BISH 1924-12-27
4 Dolichandra unguis-cati Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Brigham, W.T. Oahu BISH 1890-01-01
5 Dolichandra unguis-cati Honolulu, Keeaumoku & Heulu Preserved_Specimen Williams, F.X. Oahu BISH 1943-08-19
6 Dolichandra unguis-cati Koloa District; Lawai Valley; NTBG; McBryde Garden, Maidenhair Falls Rubiaceae area, slope above rd. Cultivated area below Leucaena thicket. On Leucaena Preserved_Specimen Hemiepiphytic climber w swollen tuberous underground stem, climbing by claw-like leaf tips and adventitious roots; flowering in tree canopy, corolla bright yellow w dark yellow nectar guides, fragrant Lorence, D.H. 10354 Kauai BISH 2012-09-10
7 Dolichandra unguis-cati W Maui, Lahaina District, Honolua Bay, near the road Locally naturalized and abundant. Preserved_Specimen Vines climbing trees and covering the ground. Oppenheimer, H.L. 89936 Maui BISH 1999-08-24
8 Dolichandra unguis-cati Makiki Heights Dr., Tantalus and Nature Center Parking area, Oahu, Hawaii Growing in parking area over other vegetation. Preserved_Specimen Vegetative, not flowering. Claw-like tendrils. Crago, L.M. 2005216 Oahu BISH 2005-11-01
9 Dolichandra unguis-cati Lihue, along Hwy. 50 just west of Lihue Plantation Mill In trees along road Preserved_Specimen High climbing vine, to 50 ft. or more. Flowers bright yellow. Flynn, T.W. 1620 Kauai BISH 1986-04-03
10 Dolichandra unguis-cati North Kohala District, Bond Historical Dist. E of Kapaau, Pali Akamoa Gulch Dense overstory of alien secondary species: Mangifera, Syzygium jambos, Ficus retusa. Preserved_Specimen Profusely growing vine on ground and around trees. Flowers bright yellow, bell-shaped. Imada, C. 9946 Hawaii BISH 1999-09-01
11 Dolichandra unguis-cati Koloa, Kalaheo, Puu Rd. Syzygium, Mangifera, Thevetia, Panicum Preserved_Specimen high climbing vine covering other vegetation, cascading down; leaflets dull medium greenabove, dull paler below; fruit pendant, glossy medium to dark green, flattened Flynn, T.W. 600 Kauai BISH 2004-11-08
12 Dolichandra unguis-cati Kualapuu Climbing alien vegetation on roadside. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 110121 Molokai BISH 2001-11-18
13 Dolichandra unguis-cati Honaunau, near painted church, side of rd Associated vegetation: Rd side scrub Schefflera. Preserved_Specimen High climbing vine with cats claw; lvs with 2 leaflets, more or less terminal claw like tendril; stems slightly woody; fruits long bean-like pods 1-3 cm long with papery seeds inside each pod. Starr, F. 6201 Hawaii BISH 2000-06-20
14 Dolichandra unguis-cati Waimea Audubon Center, Waimea Valley, Oahu, Hawaii Covering trees on the road that leads to the Pritchardia, next to stream. Preserved_Specimen Vine, claw like tendrils, yellow flowers. Crago, L.M. 2005208 Oahu BISH 2005-10-18
15 Dolichandra unguis-cati Honolulu: Manoa Valley; University of Hawaii Manoa Campus, Varney Circle Preserved_Specimen Stout liana climbing 9 m. up in a Prosopis tree. Flowers canary-yellow; not fragrant (in the late afternoon). Lau, J. 1281 Oahu BISH 1985-08-01
16 Dolichandra unguis-cati Honolulu, Bishop Museum Preserved_Specimen Vine, yellow flowers. Grant, M.L. 7121 Oahu BISH 1934-07-24
17 Dolichandra unguis-cati Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Flowers yelllow. Meebold, A. Oahu BISH 1944-09-01
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