Operculina hamiltonii

Native from southeastern Mexico through Central America and the Caribbean to tropical South America, this perennial woody vine has tuberous roots. In Colombia it occurs in the Caribbean and Pacific lowlands. Its reddish stems and flower stalks can have narrow wings. The bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers are borne singly or occasionally in pairs on long stalks. The sepals enlarge around the developing fruit, which is a capsule with an outer layer that separates like a lid before the inner layer breaks to release up to four seeds. Photographed in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.