Thunbergia grandiflora

Thunbergia grandiflora Roxb., J. Bellenden Ker, Bot. Reg. 6: t. 495. 1820 (Hort. bengal. 45. 1814, nom. nud.);
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thun-BER-jee-uh — named after Carl Peter Thunberg, Swedish botanist … Dave’s Botanary • Wikipedia
gran-dih-FLOR-uh — with large flowers … Dave’s Botanary
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commonly known as: Bengal clock vine, Bengal trumpet vine, blue sky flower, blue sky vine, blue trumpet vine • Adi: cocoriang, kingoreib • Ahom: হেতালতি hetaloti, কাউৰীঠোঁটীয়া লতা kaurithutia lota • Assamese: হেতালতি hetaloti, কাউৰীঠোঁটীয়া লতা kaurithutia lota, kukua loti, ননং nonong • Bengali: নীল লতা neel lota • Bodo: serfa • Dogri: नीलगास neelgaas • Garo: khakkhu • Hajong: nul-lata • Hindi: नील लता neel lata • Kachari: dumangkhlong, tumakhlung • Kannada: ದೊಡ್ಡ ಹೆಗಲ ಬಳ್ಳಿ dodda hegala balli • Karbi: nong-nonga-rikang • Khasi: jermie-khnong, syntew-jarmi-chankhnow • Kokborok: vako • Kui: ଛୋଟ ଘଣ୍ଟି chhota ghanti • Kuki: thang-wakoi • Manipuri: ꯁꯝꯕꯜ ꯈꯨꯗꯣꯞ sambal khudop • Mech: dengkhakhlu • Mizo: va-ko, vakohrui, zawngafian • Nagamese: loyga • Nepali: काग चुच्चे kaag chuchche, काग फुली kaag phulee, कनेसी लहरा kanesi laharaa • Nyishi: piji • Rabha: bakhor lewa • Tamil: வங்காள கடிகாரக் கொடி vankaala katikaarak koti • Tulu: ಮಲ್ಲ ಪುಗೆಲ್ ಬಳ್ಳು malla pugelu ballu
Names compiled / updated at https://dineshvalke.blogspot.com/2025/10/thunbergia-grandiflora-roxb-ex-rottler.html
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Woody climber with broadly ovate often deeply cordate leaves, angular-toothed, 3-5 nerved; flowers in drooping racemes, on up to 5 cm long pedicels, corolla blue, soewhat 2-lipped.
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Thunbergia grandiflora                                    Thunbergia laurifolia
Leaves ovate, to 20 cm long, angular toothed.   Leaves ovate-lanceolate, to 12 cm long
Leaf base cordate                                                      Leaf based narrowed
Pedicel 4-5 cm long                                                  Pedicel 2 cm long
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Thunbergia grandiflora (Roxb. ex Rottl.) Roxb., Bot. Reg. 6: , pl. 495 1820.
syn: Flemingia grandiflora Roxb. ex Rottl.
Woody climber with broadly ovate often deeply cordate leaves, angular-toothed, 3-5 nerved; flowers in drooping racemes, on up to 5 cm long pedicels, corolla blue, soewhat 2-lipped.
Photographed from DU, Delhi
Common names: Blue trumpet vine, Bengal clock vine, sky vine

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Acanthaceae Week: Thunbergia grandiflora from Delhi:
Thunbergia grandiflora (Roxb. ex Rottl.) Roxb., Bot. Reg. 6: , pl. 495 1820. syn: Flemingia grandiflora Roxb. ex Rottl.
Woody climber with broadly ovate often deeply cordate leaves, angular-toothed, 3-5 nerved; flowers in drooping racemes, on up to 5 cm long pedicels, corolla blue, soewhat 2-lipped.
Photographed from DU, Delhi 
Common names: Blue trumpet vine, Bengal clock vine, sky vine.
The plant though closely related to T. laurifolia is treated as synonym of T. alata in Kew Plant List and perhaps in Schonenberger, J. 1999. Floral structure, development and diversity in Thunbergia (Acanthaceae). Bot. J. Linn. Soc. <http://www.tropicos.org/Publication/1172> 130: 1–36. Final comments can be made only after seeing this paper.


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Convolvulaceae member from Assam KD 01 Feb 2017 : 6 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (8)

Attached images are unknown species. Please ID the sp.
Date :08.12.2016
Location: Assam
Family : Convolvulaceae
Genus & species : ??
Habitat: Grows wild on hilly area
Habit : Climber
Flower : Large, white


I am inclined more towards Thunbergia sp.


Yes, the fruits suggest Thunbergia.
Please compare with Thunbergia species in eFI.


Thanks, … I think close to images of Thunbergia grandiflora Roxb.


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SK4890 30 APR-2017:ID : 6 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (6)
Location: Soureni, Mirik, India
Date: 22 April 2017
Altitude: 2000ft.

Looks like some Thunbergia sp. (Acanthaceae).
Thunbergia in eFI.


I guess it could be Thunbergia grandiflora (Roxb. ex Rottl.) Roxb. (accepted name)

Habitat

T. grandiflora can be found growing in moist areas from sea level to middle elevations. It is especially common in disturbed areas, urban forests near human settlements, riparian forests, forest gaps, forest edges and along roadsides (ISGG, 2012; PIER, 2012). In Australia, this species has been reported growing in areas from sea level to 750 metres in riparian areas, rainforest margins, roadsides, disturbed sites and old gardens (Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 2007). In Hawaii, T. grandiflora grows in lowland moist areas, disturbed forests, and urban areas (Starr et al., 2003). Please validate.


I also feel it is closer to images at Thunbergia grandiflora Roxb. as per comparative images at Thunbergia


Nepali Names : काग चुच्चे  Kaagchuchche / काग फुली Kagphulee 



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SK723 25 AUG-2017:ID : 4 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (6)
Location: Kathandu, Nepal
Altitude: 4400 ft.
Date: 07 JUne 2017
Thunbergia ???

I also think so. Pl. check comparative images at genera page in efi site.


Pl. check comparative images at /species/a—l/a/acanthaceae/thunbergia

Closest I find is /species/a—l/a/acanthaceae/thunbergia/thunbergia grandiflora as per comparative images. 



KEW says Thunbergia grandiflora Roxb. is a synonym of Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims. But ‘google search’ gives all yellow flowers for Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims !
Habit & Habitat : climber, found outside a residence
Date : 18/8/12, 4.41 P.M.
Place : Barijahati (Hooghly)
website visited :

I hope new comers will learn from your posts. How to do homework before posting it on Eflora.
Nice Pictures. A similar plant is growing on fence in village Tala Umaria M.P. I will check when it flowers.


yes … grows at the hort and elliot park on chowringhee and many places in and around the canals in shyambazar etc… saw them during the whirlwind durgapuja pandal hopping a couple of years ago….
your second question I think is the Thunbergia alata… its well accepted that thunbergia alata is a distinctly different species… it had different structure of flowers and leaf…
I am enclosing a picture here, from NYBG where plants are displayed with labels once it s classified by their botanists and horticulturists team… I value their opinion above any website for sure…
this was labelled a t. alata orange flowers… did not photograph the label because I have my self had been growing the typical Yellow flowered t. alata vine for many many years as part of my nostalgia of India garden… t. alata is south african origin as far as I know.. ..yet my Grandma’s garden on the east coast or the west coast always had them almost growing like wild … this link shows both colors….
plantzafrica
To confuse the issue its also called black eyed susan by some areas of the english speaking world including popular name in seed catalogues and popular flower for cutflower trade in USA and europe and now grows wild in the meadows all over…and by the roadsides ….this Black eyed susan is Rudbeckia hirta of Aster family… fcps
ecologically an important plant, its considered so at least in the USA you’ll see that in the site above…..


I said yes to the plant being T. grandiflora without reading your first line about KEW The Plant List listing.
Having gone through the Plant List, with so many missing names, unresolved names, and many wrong synonymy records, I have become increasingly unsure about The Plant List.
I prefer to follow GRIN for records which are dealt there and periodically updated by its scientists. GRIN as well as several recent treatments recognise T. grandiflora. as distinct species.
Yes … is right, T. alata is a sufficiently distinct from T. grandiflora, and to call T. grandiflora its synonym at least I find hard to digest.
If there is any species closest and can be combined with is T. laurifolia. The two are very close.

 


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Request flower ID (x-10) : Attachments (1).  3 posts by 3 authors.
Requesting id of this flower (picture taken at Kaas in late Sep, 2012).


Thunbergia grandiflora


This appears to be ornamental and can’t be seen on Kaas plateau.  Please mention clear location/ size of the flower habit/habitat etc ………………..



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Thunbergia grandiflora (Roxb. ex Rottl.) Roxb. Bot. Reg. 6: 6 1820; Bailey, Man. Cult. Pl.700. 1924; Gaur, Fl. District Garhwal 518. 1999; Chowdhery and Pandey, Pl. Indian Bot. Gard. 478. 2007.

Flower of India link: flowersofindia
Eflora of India link: /species/a—l/a/acanthaceae/thunbergia/thunbergia-grandiflora
Family Acantheaceae
Flowering and Fruiting: June – August
Attachments (4)



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Acanthaceae Fortnight::Thunbergia grandiflora::NSJ-08 : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (2)
Thunbergia grandiflora Photo taken at Goa (May-06)


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Fwd: The Bengal clockvine : 2 posts by 2 authors.
Please check the link for my latest article in ‘Star of Mysore’ :

Wonderfully written and presented, … We are proud to have you among us.



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Fwd: THUNBERGIA GRANDIFLORA / THUNBERGIA GRANDIFLORA ALBA : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (1)
Attaching a collage of Thunbergia grandiflora along with Thunbergia grandiflora alba.


very nice … but wrong picture


the attached image was a wrong one. Attaching the correct one.
Attachments (1)


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SK1724 14 Jan 2019 : 4 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (2) – 3 mb each.
Location : Sentosa, Singapore
Date : 18 October 2012
Altitude  131 m.
Habit : Cultivated
Thunbergia grandiflora ‘Alba’ ???

Attachments (1) – 3 mb.

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Fwd: SYMBIOSIS : 975 : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (1)
Attaching a collage of Bumble bee visiting flowers of Thunbergia grandiflora.

 


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Fwd: COLOUR FROM NATURE ( THUNBERGIA GRANDIFLORA ) : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (1)
In the attached collage the background colour is taken from the colour of the flower itself.
With careful observation you will find two small spots in the flower. You got it, the background is composed of this colour.
NATURE IS WONDERFUL.


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Fwd: THUNBERGIA GRANDIFLORA : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (1)
Attaching a collage of Thunbergia grandiflora.

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Thunbergia grandiflora (Roxb. ex Rottler) Roxb.: 5 very high res. images.

Location: Jalthal, Jhapa, East Nepal
Date: 01 January 2023
Elevation: 97 m.
Habitat: Wild

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Names of Plants in India :: Thunbergia grandiflora (Roxb. ex Rottler) Roxb.: 1 image.
Thunbergia grandiflora (Roxb. ex Rottler) Roxb.

thun-BER-jee-uh — named after Carl Peter Thunberg, Swedish botanist … Dave’s Botanary • Wikipedia
gran-dih-FLOR-uh — with large flowers … Dave’s Botanary

commonly known as: Bengal clock vine, Bengal trumpet vine, blue sky flower, blue sky vine, blue trumpet vine • Adi: cocoriang, kingoreib • Ahom: হেতালতি hetaloti, কাউৰীঠোঁটীয়া লতা kaurithutia lota • Assamese: হেতালতি hetaloti, কাউৰীঠোঁটীয়া লতা kaurithutia lota, kukua loti, ননং nonong • Bengali: নীল লতা neel lota • Bodo: serfa • Dogri: नीलगास neelgaas • Garo: khakkhu • Hajong: nul-lata • Hindi: नील लता neel lata • Kachari: dumangkhlong, tumakhlung • Kannada: ದೊಡ್ಡ ಹೆಗಲ ಬಳ್ಳಿ dodda hegala balli • Karbi: nong-nonga-rikang • Khasi: jermie-khnong, syntew-jarmi-chankhnow • Kokborok: vako • Kui: ଛୋଟ ଘଣ୍ଟି chhota ghanti • Kuki: thang-wakoi • Manipuri: ꯁꯝꯕꯜ ꯈꯨꯗꯣꯞ sambal khudop • Mech: dengkhakhlu • Mizo: va-ko, vakohrui, zawngafian • Nagamese: loyga • Nepali: काग चुच्चे kaag chuchche, काग फुली kaag phulee, कनेसी लहरा kanesi laharaa • Nyishi: piji • Rabha: bakhor lewa • Tamil: வங்காள கடிகாரக் கொடி vankaala katikaarak koti • Tulu: ಮಲ್ಲ ಪುಗೆಲ್ ಬಳ್ಳು malla pugelu ballu

botanical namesThunbergia grandiflora (Roxb. ex Rottler) Roxb. … homotypic synonymsPleuremidis grandiflora (Roxb.) Raf. … heterotypic synonymsThunbergia chinensis Merr. • Thunbergia cordifolia Nees • Thunbergia grandiflora f. alba Leonard • Thunbergia malvifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Wall. … and more at POWO, retrieved 29 September 2025

Bibliography / etymology
Links listed as references in the notes below, may not remain valid permanently. Portals / websites have a tendency to re-organize / revise their content, leading to change in URLs of pages in their site. Some sites may even close down at their own will. The bits about the languages of India mentioned below are merely some bare facts gathered from the internet; just enough to satisfy curiosity about “where” could the listed names be best prevalent in India. All English transliterated names to be taken sensu amplo.

~~~~~ ENGLISH ~~~~~
written and spoken widely, in most parts of India
Bengal clock vine, Bengal trumpet vine, blue sky flower, blue sky vine, blue trumpet vine
~~~~~ ADI ~~~~~
written in: Latin … spoken in: Arunachal Pradesh
cocoriang, kingoreib
~~~~~ AHOM ~~~~~
written in: Ahom, Assamese … mainly used by priests and scholars for religious and educational purposes; spoken in: erstwhile Ahom kingdom (some part in present day Assam) … other names for this language: Tai-Ahom
হেতালতি hetaloti, কাউৰীঠোঁটীয়া লতা kaurithutia lota
~~~~~ ASSAMESE ~~~~~
written in: Assamese (অসমীয়া) … spoken in: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya
হেতালতি hetaloti, কাউৰীঠোঁটীয়া লতা kaurithutia lota
  • Many thanks to Ratneswar Kachari and Monoj Nath for help with these names … facebook
kukua loti
ননং nonong
~~~~~ BENGALI ~~~~~
written in: Bengali (বাংলা) … spoken in: West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Tripura, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
নীল লতা neel lota
~~~~~ BODO ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari or Latin … spoken in: Assam … other names for this language: Boro
serfa
~~~~~ DOGRI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (डोगरी) … spoken in: Jammu & Kashmir … spoken by the Dogras
नीलगास neelgaas
  • Many thanks to OM Prakash Vidyarthi for help with this name … facebook … or निलगासी nilgaasi
~~~~~ GARO ~~~~~
written in: Roman, Bengali-Assamese, A-Chik Tok’birim … spoken in: Meghalaya, Assam
khakkhu
~~~~~ HAJONG ~~~~~
written in: Bengali-Assamese (হাজং), Latin … spoken in: Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal
nul-lata
~~~~~ HINDI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (हिन्दी) … spoken in: DelhiUttar PradeshBiharChhattisgarhHaryanaJharkhandMadhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand
नील लता neel lata
~~~~~ KACHARI ~~~~~
written in: Bengali-Assamese, Devanagari, Latin … spoken in: Assam, Nagaland … other names for this language: Cachari, Plains Kachari (Boro or Bara) and Hill Kachari (Dimasa)
dumangkhlong, tumakhlung
~~~~~ KANNADA ~~~~~
written in: Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) … spoken in: Karnataka
ದೊಡ್ಡ ಹೆಗಲ ಬಳ್ಳಿ dodda hegala balli
~~~~~ KARBI ~~~~~
written in: Roman … spoken in: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland … other names for this language: Mikir or Arleng
nong-nonga-rikang
~~~~~ KHASI ~~~~~
written in: Latin (Khasi alphabet), Bengali-Assamese … spoken in: Meghalaya, Assam
jermie-khnong, syntew-jarmi-chankhnow
~~~~~ KOKBOROK ~~~~~
written in: Koloma, Latin, Bengali–Assamese (ককবরক), Kokmari … spoken in: Tripura … other names for this language: Tripuri, Kokbarak, Tippera, Tipra, Trippera
vako
~~~~~ KUI ~~~~~
written in: Odia (କୁଇ) … spoken in: Odisha … spoken by the Kandhas … other names for this language: Kandh, Khondi, Khond, Khondo, Kanda, Kodu, Kodulu, Kuinga, Kuy
ଛୋଟ ଘଣ୍ଟି chhota ghanti
~~~~~ KUKI ~~~~~
written in: Roman … spoken in: Manipur, Assam, Nagaland … other names for this language:Thado, Thado-Pao, Thado-Ubiphei, Thaadou Kuki
thang-wakoi
~~~~~ MANIPURI ~~~~~
written in: Meiteilon (ꯃꯩꯇꯩꯂꯣꯟ), Bengali-Assamese … spoken in: Manipur … other names for this language: Meetei
ꯁꯝꯕꯜ ꯈꯨꯗꯣꯞ sambal khudop
~~~~~ MECH ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari, Roman … spoken by: Mech people (Bodos of north West Bengal)
dengkhakhlu
~~~~~ MIZO ~~~~~
written in: Latin, Bengali-Assamese … spoken in: Mizoram … other names for this language: Lushai, Duhlian
va-ko
vakohrui, zawngafian
~~~~~ NAGAMESE ~~~~~
written in: Roman … spoken in: Nagaland … the Naga languages are a geographic and ethnic grouping of languages, spoken mostly by Naga peoples
loyga
~~~~~ NEPALI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (नेपाली) … spoken in: NepalWest BengalAssamSikkim
काग चुच्चे kaag chuchche, काग फुली kaag phulee
  • Many thanks to Saroj Kumar Kasaju for help with these names … efloraofindia
कनेसी लहरा kanesi laharaa
~~~~~ NYISHI ~~~~~
written in: Latin … spoken in: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam … spoken by the Daffla (or Dafla) tribe, now known as Nyishi tribe … other names for this language: Nishi, Nisi, Nishang, Nissi, Nyising, Leil, Aya, Akang, Bangni-Bangru, Solung
piji
~~~~~ RABHA ~~~~~
written in: Assamese (ৰাভা), Bengali, English … spoken in: Assam, Nagaland, West Bengal, Meghalaya
bakhor lewa
~~~~~ TAMIL ~~~~~
written in: Tamil (தமிழ்) … spoken in: Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
வங்காள கடிகாரக் கொடி vankaala katikaarak koti
~~~~~ TULU ~~~~~
written in: Tigalari (Tulu) was used for writing Vedic texts in Sanskrit, Kannada (ತುಳು), Malayalam (തുളു) … spoken in: Karnataka, north Kerala
ಮಲ್ಲ ಪುಗೆಲ್ ಬಳ್ಳು malla pugelu ballu
~~~~~ DISTRIBUTION in INDIA ~~~~~
throughout
~~~~~ Created on: 15:03 29-09-2025 ¦ Last updated: 18:08 03-10-2025 (DD-MM-YYYY) ~~~~~

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References:
Updated on October 16, 2025

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