On 07/05/15 08:03, Charlie Pridham wrote:

Thanks for the ID attempt. I had a look earlier, and the flowers have
changed a little - the petals are now quite reflexed, and the stamens and
style have elongated. The whole flower is now about 55 - 60 mm long. The
stamens are about 20 - 25 mm long. As far as I can tell, the flowers have
no scent. The plant doesn't look as though it should be hardy, but it
suffered no damage at all over winter (several frosts to -4 or 5℃).

--

Jeff

I thought it had the look of Cuphea but I don't grow them so not sure of
which species

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk


I am reliable told its Vestia foetida, and I am cross with myself as I knew
that name, it just wouldn't come!

Give that man the prize! Thank you, Charlie. I had early on considered
it might be one of the Solanaceae, but the family is so diverse that
trying to identify the plant on the internet was just not on.

I just went out and had a smell of a crushed leaf. I wouldn't call it
particularly hooter unfriendly, but maybe the weather is still a bit
cool. The leaves of a Clerodendrum trichotomum nearby also aren't as
smelly as they usually seem to be.

A few years ago I asked a Japanese work colleague if he could send me
some seeds of Paederia scandens (now P. foetida), as the flowers looked
interesting. Big mistake - it was a lot hardier than I thought, never
flowered, and absolutely stunk if you crushed the leaves or stems. It
was also fairly resistant to glyphosate, but I disposed of it in the
end. I know you are particularly interested in climbers, but this is one
to be avoided!

--

Jeff