Mansoa is a genus of tropical climbing vines belonging to the family Bignoniaceae, within the order Lamiales. The genus comprises roughly 18 accepted species, all native to the Neotropics, with a range stretching from Mexico south through Central America and across tropical South America to Argentina and Paraguay. Members of Mansoa are woody lianas characterised by the opposite, compound leaves and showy, trumpet-shaped flowers typical of the Bignoniaceae family.
The best-known species is Mansoa alliacea (Lam.) A.H.Gentry, commonly called the Garlic Vine, which produces clusters of lavender-to-white flowers and emits a distinctive garlic-like odour from its crushed leaves — a trait unusual in the family and reflected in its common name. Another notable member, Mansoa hymenaea, is widely cultivated as an ornamental in tropical gardens for its prolific flowering.
The genus was established in 1838, published in Bibliothèque Universelle de Genève (sér.2, Vol.17, p.128), and was named in honour of Antônio Luiz Patrício da Silva Manso (1788–1848), a Brazilian botanist, physician, and politician. It is placed in the family Bignoniaceae, a family of largely tropical trees, shrubs, and lianas known for their large, often brightly coloured flowers and their elongated seed pods.
Etymology
The genus name Mansoa honours Antônio Luiz Patrício da Silva Manso (1788–1848), a Brazilian botanist, physician, and politician. The genus was first described and published in Bibliothèque Universelle de Genève (sér.2, Vol.17, p.128) in 1838.
Distribution
Mansoa is native to tropical America, with its range extending from Mexico through Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá) and across South America (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Argentina), as well as several Caribbean island groups including the Leeward and Windward Islands.
