Friday, November 16, 2012

Trumpet Vine

 Blue Trumpet Vine, Laurel Clock Vine, Thunbergia laurifolia

A native to India,  it is a fast-growing ornamental vine with showy violet, white or blue trumpet-shaped flowers.  It is locally known as kar tuau in Malaysia and rang jeud in Thailand. Thunbergia laurifolia leaves are opposite, heart-shaped with serrated leaf margin and taper to a pointed tip. Flowers are not scented and borne on pendulous inflorescence. The hermaphrodite flower is trumpet-shaped with a short broad tube, white outside and yellowish inside. The corolla is pale blue in color with 5–7 petals, one larger than the others.


The plant flowers almost continuously throughout the year with flowers opening early in the morning and aborting in the evening of the same day. Carpenter bees are frequent visitors, creeping into the flowers for pollen and nectar while black ants are present probably as nectar scavengers. The plant develops a very tuberous root system.
  
In Malaysia, juice from crushed leaves of T. laurifolia are taken for menorrhagia, placed into the ear for deafness, and applied for poulticing cuts and boils. In Thailand, leaves are used as an antipyretic, as well as an antidote for detoxifying poisons. Several Thai herbal companies have started producing and exporting rang jeud tea. The tea has been claimed to be able to detoxify the harmful effects of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.

 Happiness in this world, when it comes, comes incidentally. Make it the object of pursuit, and it leads us on a wild-goose chase, and is never attained. Follow some other object, and very possibly we may find that we have caught happiness without dreaming of it. 
~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

 
 

20 comments:

Birgitta said...

So beautiful photos of these flowers!

joanne said...

so uplifting to see and read about such lovely and interesting flowers for a change....so many of us have been posting pix of falling leaves and frost! I have never seen these blossoms up close, and am thrilled to see this today...thanx

joy said...

love the pictures and the words!

Have a nice week end out there!

joy said...

anyway, I am one of your followers now:)

Photo Cache said...

This is similar to another trumpet vine like plant here. I am not sure if they are related, but I'm betting they are.

Aren't these gorgeous?

Unknown said...

Very pretty!

Liz said...

It's beautiful. I love the color.

Yellow Buttercup

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Lovely flower -- and the happiness quote is perfect.

chica said...

Que espetaculares essas photos! beijos,lindo domingo!chica

Carver said...

Lovely flowers from your part of the world.

Jama said...

Beautiful! Plenty of them here in Singapore too and they bloom all year long.

lotusleaf said...

Beautiful shots. This vine looks lovely on high fences .

lina@womens perspectives said...

Look so pretty!

Madge @ The View From Right Here said...

SO lovely...the soft colors are beautiful! I'm your newest follower.

Judy said...

Such gorgeous blossoms!! I never knew the plant had herbal uses!!
Your header is amazing! I have a plant like that, but the light in your photo is simply amazing!

Laerte Pupo said...

Beautiful flower.

Chubskulit Rose said...

I only see yellow and orange trumpet vines here, those pink and purple are gorgeous!

Late visit from Today's Flower.

Water Lilies

SandyCarlson said...

Stunning, to be sure!

DeniseinVA said...

I enjoyed learning about these beautiful flowers today. A wonderful post, thank you Luna Miranda. Have a great week!

online singapore florist said...

The trumpet wine shown here is excellent. Have a look at it