Dalechampia tiliifolia

Native from Mexico through Central America to tropical South America and Trinidad, it is a climbing vine with grayish, hairy stems. Its leaves have heart-shaped bases, vary from unlobed to deeply three-lobed and are densely hairy underneath. Each flower cluster is framed by two large, creamy-white bracts, usually with three teeth at their tips. Separate male and female flowers occur together within the same cluster. A gland of modified bractlets secretes resin collected by bees for nest construction, with the bees transferring pollen as they gather it. The developing seed capsules are surrounded by deeply divided sepals bearing stinging hairs. It is reported as uncommon in evergreen forests of Nicaragua’s Atlantic region. Photographed in Panama.