return to: checklist; family Bignoniaceae; keys

Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) A. Gentry [syns: Bignonia unguis-cati L., Doxantha unguis-cati (L.) Miers]; cat's claw creeper

Woody liana climbing by means of hooked claw-like tendrils; leaves opposite, compound, 2-foliolate (terminal leaflet modified as a 3-lobed tendril); flowers uniformly yellow; fruit elongate.

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Tendril tips are stiffly recurved, each resembling a cat's claw; this feature provides a useful means for identification of juvenile and sterile specimens. Listed as an important source of pollen and/or nectar for bees (Souza Novello 1981, Suarez Molina 1981).