Clerodendrum

a genus of plants of the family Verbenaceae. Members may be semishrubs, shrubs, lianas, or small trees with opposite or verticillate leaves. The flowers are gathered into panicles or corymbs and sometimes have a brightly colored calyx. There are approximately 390 species, chiefly in the tropics of the eastern hemisphere. In some species (for example, C. fistulosum from Borneo) the hollow internodes of the stems are inhabited by ants. Many species of Clerodendrum are used in horticulture, often under the name Volkameria.

The liana C. thomsonae from West Africa, which has blossoms with a white calyx and a red corolla, and C. speciosissimum (C. fallax) which has purple flowers and is native to the Sunda Islands and the eastern Pacific, are often cultivated in greenhouses. The Sino-Japanese species C. fragrans, with pinkish-white fragrant blossoms, is a common house plant.