Combretum Fruticosum, Fire Flower – Plant

Description

The orange flame vine is a liana that reaches up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) in height without a support and up to 11 metres (36 ft) with a support. The branches are cylindrical and striated.The leaves are persistent to semipersistent, dense and dry. They are simple, opposite, sometimes alternate, 6 to 16 cm long and 3 to 8 cm broad, with an entire margin and a short petiole. The flowers appear in summer and are yellowish to reddish, small, grouped in axillar spikes 8 to 16 cm long. The calyx is bell-shaped with 4 lobules 5 mm long, the corolla has 4 very small petals 1 to 1.5 mm long. The 8 stamens are 3 cm long and have reddish anthers. The number of flowers varies from 52 to 93 in each inflorescence. The fruit forms in autumn and is dry and indehiscent, 2 cm long, and reddish brown.