Laurel Clock Vine

Description:

Thunbergia grandiflora is an evergreen vine in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to China, India, Nepal, Indochina and Burma and widely naturalised elsewhere. Common names include Bengal clockvine, Bengal trumpet, blue skyflower, blue thunbergia, blue trumpetvine, clockvine, skyflower and skyvine. Hindi: नील लता Neel lata • Gujarati: Tumakhlung • Bengali: নীল লতা Neel lota. The Bengal Clock Vine has been called by some "the most beautiful vine in the world". From a distance, this twining, flowering vine looks like a morning glory and even up close the flowers are quite similar. The curious name clock vine comes from the fact that it twines around a support in a clockwise direction. Plants may grow to about 20 metres in height.

Notes:

Differs from Bengal Clock Vine mainly in the narrower, 3-7 cm wide, ovate to oblong, rarely lobed leaves which are frequently very coarsely toothed, long-pointed at the tip.