Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
var. halicacabum

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique.

Synonyms:
Common names:	Balloon vine (E)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Annual climber. Stems with minutely puberulous, sometimes slightly woody; tendrils present. Leaves biternate, essentially 3-foliolate with each part divided again into 3 leaflets; leaflets with coarse serrate teeth. Flowers in axillary heads, usually 3-flowered by abortion, white with a yellowish centre. Fruit a membranous, inflated capsule, green, drying to brown, more than 2 cm long. Seeds round and black with a broadly heart-shaped or kidney-shaped spot (hilum). See C. halicacabum var. microcarpum for comparison.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	Occurring mainly in riverine fringes.
Altitude range: (metres)	Up to 1300 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Pantropical
Zimbabwe distribution:	NCES
Growth form:
Insects (whose larvae eat this species):	Charaxes varanes varanes (Pearl charaxes)
Literature:
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Sunday 1 February 2009

Flora of Mozambique: Cardiospermum halicacabum
Biodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Cardiospermum halicacabum
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Cardiospermum halicacabum
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Cardiospermum halicacabum
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Cardiospermum halicacabum
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Cardiospermum halicacabum
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Cardiospermum halicacabum
West African Plants database: Cardiospermum halicacabum