Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Malvids: Sapindales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cardiospermum halicacabum
FAMILY
Sapindaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Read more about Balloonvine at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cardiospermum halicacabum
FAMILY
Sapindaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Cardiospermum halicacabum
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 117-01-001:
Cardiospermum halicacabum FAMILY Sapindaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cardiospermum halicacabum
COMMON NAME:
Balloonvine, Love-in-a-puff, Heartseed
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_caha13_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_caha13_004_lvd
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_c_halicacabum
August Whitfield County GA
Flowers 0.2" wide, borne in small clusters on long stalks from leaf axils, per Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005).
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_c_halicacabum_8
August Whitfield County GA
Fruiting capsule green, downy, inflated, papery, almost round to egg-shaped, per Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005).
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John D. Byrd, Mississippi State University, Bugwood.org bug_1391459
Month Unknown
)
John D. Byrd, Mississippi State University, Bugwood.org bug_1391461
Month Unknown
)
Michael Jordan, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Bugwood.org bug_5351098
Month Unknown
The lance-shaped leaflets are coarsely toothed or lobed and weakly hairy, per Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005).
COMPARE
compound leaves of vines
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cardiospermum halicacabum
FAMILY
Sapindaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cardiospermum halicacabum
FAMILY
Sapindaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Cardiospermum halicacabum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 117-01-001:
Cardiospermum halicacabum
FAMILY
Sapindaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cardiospermum halicacabum
3039
Herbaceous vine
Annual/Biennial/Perennial
Habitat: Thickets, riverbanks, cultivated or abandoned fields, other disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Native: south central US, south through tropical America
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2013
- Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council
- SC List of Regulated Pest Plant Species, 2017
- Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2009
LEAVES:
Ternately compound, with 2 levels of compoundness
Alternate
FLOWER:
Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall
White
Not symmetrical
4 sepals
4 petals
Superior ovary
Functionally unisexual
Flowers in axillary clusters
FRUIT:
Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall
Green
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".