Cydista

• Authority

  Maguire, Bassett. 1978. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part X. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 29: 1-288.

• Family

  Bignoniaceae

• Scientific Name

  Cydista

• Discussion

  7. Cydista Miers, Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. 3: 191. 1863. Type. C. aequinoctialis (L.) Miers. Levya Bur. ex Baill., Hist. PI. 10: 28. 1888. Type. L. nicaraguensis Bur. ex Baill. =C. aequinoctialis vslt hirtella (Benth.) A. Gentry. This genus is characterized by magenta to white "Cydista-type"' flowers lacking a nectariferous disc and with a cylindric lepidote ovary. The compressed fruits are linear to oblong. The branchlets are commonly tetragonal, interpedolar glandular fields are absent, and the tendrils are simple. It occurs from southern Mexico and the West Indies south through most of Amazonia. A single species reaches upland Guayana (see also C. lilacina. Part II).