Pandorea is a genus of nine species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae (order Lamiales), native to Australia, Malesia, New Guinea, and New Caledonia. The genus was first described by Stephan Endlicher in 1838 as a section of the genus Tecoma in his Genera Plantarum, and later raised to full genus status by Édouard Spach in his Histoire Naturelle des Végétaux. Phanérogames.
Plants in the genus are mostly woody, evergreen climbers — rarely shrubs — with imparipinnate leaves arranged in opposite pairs. Unlike many climbing plants, Pandorea species do not possess tendrils. Flowers are borne terminally or in the upper leaf axils, sometimes in raceme-like arrangements, each on an individual pedicel. The five sepals are fused at the base, forming a bell-shaped or cup-shaped tube with short lobes, while the five petals are joined into a two-lipped corolla. Each flower bears two pairs of stamens. The fruit is a capsule containing many flat, winged seeds adapted for wind dispersal.
The genus is best known in cultivation for Pandorea jasminoides (bower vine or bower of beauty), a popular garden climber in warm temperate and subtropical regions, and Pandorea pandorana (wonga wonga vine), which ranges across eastern Australia, New Guinea, and several Pacific island groups. Together these two species represent the most widely distributed and horticulturally significant members of the genus.
Etymology
The genus name Pandorea alludes to Pandora of Greek mythology, the figure who opened a jar — popularly called "Pandora's box" — releasing all the evils of the world. The name was chosen in reference to the original described species, which was associated with a plague of insects on Norfolk Island.
Distribution
Pandorea is native to Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Victoria, and Tasmania), New Guinea, Malesia (including the Lesser Sunda Islands and Maluku), New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Within Australia, species are mostly confined to the eastern and northern states.
Cultivation
Pandorea jasminoides (bower vine) is widely cultivated in subtropical and warm temperate gardens as a vigorous evergreen climber valued for its trumpet-shaped pink or white flowers. Pandorea pandorana (wonga wonga vine) is also grown as an ornamental, tolerating a broader range of conditions across its native Australian range.
Taxonomy Notes
Stephan Endlicher first described Pandorea in 1838, treating it as a section within the genus Tecoma in his Genera Plantarum. Édouard Spach subsequently elevated it to a full genus. The genus belongs to the family Bignoniaceae (order Lamiales) and comprises nine accepted species. The species list is maintained by Plants of the World Online.
