GLORY-BOWER

the genus Clerodendrum (Clerodendron), consisting of about 400 herbs, vines, shrubs, and trees of the tropics, many of which are grown as garden plants. It belongs to the verbena family (Verbenaceae), order Lamiales. Common glory-bower (C. speciosissimum), from Asia, is a shrub up to about 120 cm (4 feet) tall that produces clusters of flame-orange flowers above heart-shaped bronzy leaves about 30 cm (1 foot) long. Bleeding heart glory-bower (C. thomsonae), a woody vine from Africa, has sprays of blooms, resembling bleeding heart, amid glossy, dark-green, oval leaves. Scarlet glory-bower (C. splendens), also an African vine, has clusters of red-orange flowers among heart-shaped leaves. Common in tropical gardens is C. speciosum, a hybrid between the two species above, with red-violet flowers and calyxes (united sepals) like those of C. thomsonae.