Clerodendrum laevifolium is the name recognised by Plants of the World Online (Kew).
It is mainly known in Australia as Clerodendrum wallichii and is occasionally seen as Clerodendrum nutans.
Other synonyms are Clerodendrum ellipticum, Clerodendrum henryi and Clerodendrum longilimbum.
Common names include Clerodendrum ‘Bridal Veil’, Nodding Clerodendron and Wallichii’s Glory-bower.
Native to S.E. Asia it is a cultivated species in tropical and sub-tropical areas.
They can be a sub-shrub, a rambling shrub or a small tree.
The erect or slightly arching branches can be 3 or 4 m long.
One plant, with many stems from the base can be 3 m across.
Small branches are markedly 4-angled or ridged.
There may be no hairs, tiny fine ones or larger ones at the nodes.
The simple opposite leaves are on a petiole around 1 cm long.
The narrow base of the blade may run onto it and it has tiny hairs.
Blades can be almost 20 cm long and 4 to 5 cm wide.
They are said to be oblong with a wedge-shaped base and pointed tip.
The smooth edges may be wavy.
They are a shiny deep green above and paler below.
Both sides may have tiny hairs or none.
Pendulous branched terminal inflorescences can be over 30 cm long.
The primary peduncle, a few cms long, and the midrib are 4-angled with narrow wings.
Along the midrib are around 6 to 10 paired side branches (cymes) each with a few flowers.
At the base of each peduncle is a short narrow green leaf-like bract.
Flowers are on a pedicel up to 1 cm long with bracteoles.
The whole inflorescence is a thryse.
The calyx, around 1 cm long has a tube around 3 mm long with 5 triangular lobes.
It matures to a bright red or purple.
The narrow corolla tube is around 1.5 cm long and the 5 ovate lobes are 1 to 1.5 cm long.
The petals are white or greenish-white.
There may be tiny hairs on the stems, bracts, calyx and corolla.
The 4 stamens are inserted onto the corolla tube.
Up to around 3 cm long they extend well past the corolla.
The oblong green ovary, with 2 locules is a few mms high.
The style, with 2 short stigma lobes is slightly shorter than the stamens.
Initially the stamens are roughly straight and the shorter style curls back.
After pollen is released this reverses with the now longer style straight and the stamens curled back.
The drupe-like fruit are a roughly spherical capsule around 1 cm wide.
They mature from green to a shiny black.
The thick red to purple sepals remain after the capsules have dropped their seeds.
J.F.
