English: Harlequin dutchman's pipe.
Synonym: Howardia anguicida.
Region: Guatemala, north of South America, Antilles.
Habitat: deciduous forests, disturbed areas, humid scrub; altitude of 100 to 700 meters.
Use: soap.
BotanyHerb, vine; glabrous.
Leaves: triangular; 4 to 14 cm long, 3 to 9 cm wide; acute to acuminate apex, corded base with a sine of 5 to 10 mm deep; 5 main divergent veins from the base, hairless; conspicuous, round and hugging; pseudostipules.
Flowers: solitary, axillary; purple, green and yellow; straight, ovoid utricle, 1 to 1.5 cm long, ± 1 cm wide; straight, infundibuliform tube, ± 2 cm long; unilabial blade, narrowly triangular, bent, ± 2 cm long; flowers the year round.
Fruit: ovoid capsule, 2 to 3 cm long, ± 2 cm wide.
Seeds: flat, triangular, bilaterally winged.