Common name: Balloon Vine
Cardiospermum grandiflorum Sw. APNI*
Description: Herbaceous climber with stems up to 10 m long; stems, petioles, rachises and peduncles hirsute to finely pubescent.
Leaves 6–16 cm long; leaflets oblanceolate to ± ovate, mostly 2.5–6 cm long, 1.5–4 cm wide, irregularly toothed, apex acute to acuminate; petiole 2–10 cm long, lateral petiolules 1–2 mm long.
Peduncles 5–15 cm long; pedicels c. 5 mm long. Flowers 8–10 mm long, white.
Capsule ovoid to ellipsoid, 5–6 cm long, 3–4.5 cm wide, apiculate; seeds c. 7 mm long, aril ± circular.
Flowering: Spring and Summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Native of Tropical america, Africa, West Indies and weed in many tropical countries Widespread in moist situations, chiefly coastal districts north from Picton, occasionally naturalised in inland districts.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *NWS, *CWS, *NWP
Other Australian states: *Qld
Text by G.J. Harden Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 2 (1991)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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