STIGMAPHYLLON
ciliatum. Golden vine. Central and South America. A recent addition
to my personal Favorite Vines list, received from planteersman Steve Brigham.
It has slender, twining (one might almost say, grappling) stems set every few
inches with flat, heart-shaped leaves up to 4" long. These have a softly
shiny surface and bright green color, oftenin the sunoverlaid with
bronze. The flowers are reminiscent of those of the crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia)
in form, each petal expanding abruptly from a narrow basal claw. They measure
a little over 1" across and are brilliant yellow in color. The plant is
seldom entirely out of bloom, though it flowers most heavily in summer. It thrives
in sun or light shade and well drained soil, with moderate watering. Its problem
is that it is fairly tender, recovering after freezes of about 25oF,
but probably not much less.