Mussaenda frondosa

Native from the Indian subcontinent through Southeast Asia to the Caroline Islands, this scrambling shrub grows in humid tropical vegetation. Orange, five-lobed flowers open at the ends of slender tubes in terminal clusters. Some flowers develop a conspicuous white, leaf-like sepal that acts as a long-distance signal to butterflies. In India, these displays help the birdwing butterfly Troides minos locate flowering plants. Its branching stems can lean into nearby vegetation, giving the plant a loose, spreading habit. Photographed in Colombia.