Lady Slipper Vine.
The Lady Slipper vine; (Thunbergia Mysorensis) was named for Carl Peter Thunberg, a Swedish naturalist who many call, ‘the father of South African botany.’ The word Mysorensis is the botanical Latin name for, ‘from Mysore’, which is a city in India.
These yellow and brown flowers are very exotic in appearance and they come from the tropical mountain slopes in the south of India. This evergreen, woody-stemmed climber can climb up to about 6 m, and is characterized by its bi-coloured flowers and narrow, glossy leaves, which measure approximately 15 cm in length.
The flowers hang in graceful chains down the long pendant shaped racemes. These racemes reach up to 30cm long and the butter yellow buds are encased within russet red bracteoles which part when the flower begins to bloom.
The shape of the flowers act as effective receptacles for the rain. The moisture from the rain blends with the sweet nectar and pollen which attracts a variety of butterflies and small birds such as sunbirds, passerine and hummingbirds.
The lady Slipper Vine grows well in hothouses in cooler climates but thrives in sub tropical and tropical areas. This plant is also known as 'brick and butter vine' and 'dolls shoes' due their shape and size. They are part of the Acanthaceae family.
The very popular Thunbergia Mysorensis plant is cultivated around the world for its ornamental value and it looks wonderful when draped over pergolas, fences and other garden structures. Lady vines grow easily although they are light sensitive and do require a certain amount of sunlight. They also are easy to propagate.
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