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Rangoon Creeper
Combretum indicum
シクンシ
A woody climber native to Southeast Asia, found wild in the Ryukyu Islands and cultivated ornamentally in Okinawan gardens. The flowers open white and change to red or deep red—a distinctive trait. They emit a sweet fragrance at night.
Identification Points
- ✓Flower color changes from white to pink to red after opening
- ✓Emits a strong sweet fragrance at night
- ✓Woody climber that twines around trees
Habitat
Forest edges of the Ryukyu Islands; gardens (cultivated)
Season
July–September (flowers)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Vine
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Ovary position
Inferior
Phylogenetic Positionシクンシ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core eudicots > Myrtales > Combretaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene (about 50–40 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Combretaceae belongs to Myrtales. The color change of flowers is thought to help pollinators (mainly hawkmoths and moths) distinguish fresh from older flowers, enhancing pollination efficiency.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification