Tourrettia lappacea
Native from Mexico to northwestern Argentina, this annual herbaceous vine belongs to the trumpet-vine family. Its branched tendrils coil around nearby supports, helping it climb through vegetation. The opposite, compound leaves have toothed leaflets. Upright flower spikes carry small sterile flowers at the top and fertile flowers below. The calyx is divided into two lobes, and the tubular corolla is purple and green. Oval seed capsules grow about 1â…ś inches long and are covered with hooked and straight spines. They split into two valves to release winged seeds. Photographed in the central Andes mountain range of Colombia.
