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Perennial herb, 0.5-1.5 m high; stems erect, nodes thickened; roots often tuberous. Leaves opposite, 35-130 mm long, ovate or ovate-triangular, lower petiolate, upper almost sessile. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, cymose, 1-many-flowered, compound dichasia. Flowers bisexual, 40-50 mm long, fragrant; bracts forming a calyx-like involucre with 5 lobes; lobes acuminate. Perianth: tube funnel-shaped, constricted above ovary, limb spreading, brightly coloured, white, red, yellow or variegated. Stamens exserted; filaments filiform, incurved, connate into a fleshy cup at base; anther thecae subglobose. Ovary ellipsoid or ovoid; style filiform, long-exserted; stigma globose. Flowering time spring to summer (Oct.-Apr.). Fruit an anthocarp, ellipsoid to subglobose, 7-9 mm long, 5-ribbed or 5-angled dark brown to black.
Perennial, with thick, blackish, tuberous roots. Shoots and lvs puberulent when young, later glabrous or nearly so. Stems swollen at nodes, branched. Petioles usually 1-4 cm long. Lamina 3.5-15 × 3-7 cm (largest in lower lvs), ovate or oblong-ovate, entire; undersurface with numerous rod-like cystoliths; base truncate to broadly cordate; apex acute to acuminate. Upper lvs smaller with shorter petioles. Fls in terminal cymes, fragrant. Involucre calyx-like, 9-15 mm long, hairy, strongly lobed, each containing 1 fl. Calyx 4-4.5 × 3.5-4.5 cm across limb, yellow, magenta or streaked or with sectors of either colour in the same fl., salverform, soon withering; tube c. 3 cm long. Stamens and style exserted. Anthocarp c. 8 mm long, ovoid to ellipsoid, hairy, black or almost so.
Herbs annual, to 1 m tall. Roots tuberous, black or black-brown. Stems erect, much branched, cylindric, glabrous or slightly pubescent, inflated on nodes. Petiole 1-4 cm; leaf blade ovate or ovate-triangular, 3-15 × 2-9 cm, base truncate or cordate, margin entire, apex acuminate. Flowers usually several clustered at apex of branches, fragrant; pedicel 1-2 mm. Invo-lucre campanulate, ca. 1 cm, 5-lobed, lobes triangular-ovate, acuminate, glabrous, persistent. Perianth purple, red, yellow, white, or variegated; tube 2-6 cm; limb 2.5-3 cm in diam., opening in late afternoon, closing next morning. Stamens 5; filaments slender, exserted; anther globose. Fruit black, globose, 5-8 mm in diam., coriaceous, ribbed and plicate. Endosperm white mealy. Fl. Jun-Oct, fr. Aug-Nov.
A bushy herb. It can grow as an annual plant but it can keep growing from year to year from the thick tuberous root. It grows to 60-200 cm high and spreads to 60 cm wide. The stem is short, thick and branching. The leaves occur opposite one another. They are green and oval or sword shaped. They taper to the tip. They are 6-9 cm long by 1-4 cm wide. The lower leaves have leaf stalks while the upper leaves do not. The flowers are like tubes and expand towards the top forming a funnel shape. They are 6 cm long by 3 cm wide. They are red, white, yellow or purple. They have a scent. The flowers open in the afternoon. The flowers occur in clusters at the ends of branches. The fruit are almost round, black nuts.
Plants up to 1.5 m high. Leaves (38-)40-97(-105) x (22-)23-48(-50) mm; ovate, oblong, lanceolate, deltoid; apex acute or acuminate; base cordate; petiole (5-)21(-35) mm long. Inflorescence a 3-7-flowered cyme, involucral bracts 5-13 mm long, lobes acuminate, green. Flowers 40-50 mm long, open in the late afternoon, fragrant. Perianth salverform; white, pink, red, yellow or variegated. Stamens 5 or 6; exserted, filaments filiform, connate into a fleshy cup at the base; anther oblong-ellipsoid. Ovary ellipsoid or ovoid; style filiform; stigma with stalked papillae. Anthocarp subglobose to ellipsoid, 7-9 x 4-5 mm long, coriaceous, dark-brown to black.
Plant to 1 m, rarely 2 m, high; roots tuberous; stems fleshy. Leaves petiolate, ovate or oblong to triangular, acute, to 9 cm long; base truncate to cordate; petiole to 4 cm long. Flowers 3–7 per cyme, opening in late afternoon, scented; involucral bracts 5, c. 1 cm long; pedicel less than 0.5 mm long. Perianth to 6.5 cm long; limb 2.5–3.5 cm diam., white, pink, red, yellow or variegated. Stamens 5 or 6, exserted for 8–15 mm. Style equal to stamens; stigma lobed or fimbriate. Fruit subglobular, 7–8 mm long, ribbed or tuberculate, black. See also Du Puy & Telford (1993: 102), Green (1994: 74).
Herb, 50-80 cm. Leaves 2.25-15 by 1.25-9 cm, oblong to triangular; petiole 1-4 cm. Peduncle 1.5-6 mm. Flowers 3-7 together; involucre 8-10 mm long, stretching after anthesis to c. 15 mm; pedicel 0.2 mm. Perianth white, crimson, yellow or variegated; lower portion of tube 0.5 cm, upper portion c. 4-5 cm, limb 2.5-3½ cm ø. Stamens 5-6, exserted for 8-15 mm. Style equalling the stamens; stigma capitate, with short lobes to fimbriate. Anthocarp subglobular, 7-8 mm long, ribbed or with knobs, black when mature.
Perennial herb to 1(–2) m. tall; roots tuberous.. Leaves ovate or oblong to triangular, to 9 cm. long, apex acute, base cordate; petiole to 4 cm. long.. Inflorescences 3–7-flowered; flowers ± sessile, opening in late afternoon, fragrant; involucral bracts ± 1 cm. long; perianth to 6.5 cm. long, 2.5–3.5 cm. wide at the limb, white, pink, red or yellow.. Stamens 5 or 6.. Style equal to stamens.. Anthocarp subglobose to ellipsoid, 7–8 mm. long, black.. Fig. 4.
Perennial from a thick, tuberous root, but grown as an annual; lvs ovate, petioled; invol cal-like, of 5 united bracts, deeply 5-lobed, 1-fld, 6–8 mm at anthesis; cal cor-like, showy, opening in late afternoon, white, yellow, red, purple, or variegated, funnelform, with long, slender tube 2–3 cm, the limb 2–3.5 cm wide; 2n=58. Native of tropical Amer., widely cult., and occasionally escaping in our range.
Perennial herb, up to 1.3 m high; with stems erect, much branched, branches soft and brittle; unarmed. Leaves petiolate; blade ovate, 35-130 x 20-80 mm, margins entire, often ciliate, dark green with pinkish veins. Flowers: in terminal cymes, 1-many-flowered; involucre calyxlike; perianth with tube ± 50 mm long, cylindric below, funnel-shaped at top, purple, red, yellow or white; Jan.-Apr.
Leaves ovate, 3.5–13 × 2–8 cm., entire, acuminate, base rounded, truncate or cordate, glabrous to puberulent (particularly along veins above), margins often ciliate, rhaphides usually conspicuous beneath, superior leaves frequently subsessile, inferior leaves petiolate; petioles up to 4.5 cm. long, pubescent along superior surface.
Erect, much-branched, perennial herb, up to 1.3 m high. Leaves ovate, petiolate. Perianth with tube 50 mm long, cylindrical below, funnel-shaped at top. Flowers purple, red, yellow or white.
Involucre 5–13 mm. long, divided more or less halfway into 5 triangular to ovate, acute to acuminate lobes, glabrescent to pubescent or pilose particularly along margins.
Perianth tubular 4–5.5 cm. long, lower portion green, upper portion spreading 2–3 cm. diam., purple, red, yellow, white or variegated.
Stamens 5–6, exserted, 2.75–6 cm. long; filaments filiform, united into fleshy cup at base; anthers 1.2–2 mm. long, oblong-ellipsoid.
Anthocarp ellipsoid to subglobose, 7 – 9 mm. long, ribbed or angled, tuberculate between the ribs (in dried state), hard, black.
Ovary ellipsoid or ovoid, 1–1.5 mm. long; style 4–6.5 cm. long, filiform; stigma with stalked papillae.
Stems glabrescent or pubescent, pubescence often concentrated in longitudinal strips down stem.
Flowers purple, magenta, yellow or white, opening in late afternoon
Widely cultivated as an ornamental, now established in many parts.
Inflorescences terminal.
Herb up to 1.5 m. tall.
Pedicels pubescent.
