Markhamia lutea

Markhamia lutea.

Family Bignoniaceae > Tribe Tecomeae.
One of 5 species Markhamia lutea is an evergreen tree 5 to 10 m high.
The brownish bark is finely fissured.
There are lenticels on the branches.

The pinnate leaves, oppositely arranged, are concentrated at the branch ends.
They are up to 30 cm long on stalks around 10 cm long.
There are up to 6 pairs of leaflets and a terminal one.
Leaflets are elliptic or ovate to slightly obovate and up to 10 cm long.

The terminal inflorescences, of clusters of flowers are up to 20 cm long.
Individual flowers are on short stalks.

The scaly sepals are fused into a yellowish spathe-like calyx.
It is about 2.5 cm long and splits on one side as the flower grows.

The trumpet-shaped, bilabiate corolla has 5 spreading lobes.
The tubular area is about 5 cm long and the wrinkled lobes about 2 cms.
There are brownish-red lines in the throat.

There are 2 unequal pairs of stamens that do not extend beyond the corolla.
The ovary is surrounded by a 5-lobed disc.
There is a single style with a bi-lobed stigma.

The fruit are flattened, brown capsules up to 70 cm long.
They contain many seeds with transparent wings.

J.F.