Species name :

Dolichandra unguis-cati(L.) L.G.Lohmann
Published in Nuevo Cat. Fl. Vasc. Venezuela : 273 (2008)

Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.)

Bignonia unguis L.

Synonym that was used for long in Malta: Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) A.H.Gentry

Full list of synonyms : [Euro+Med] [WFO] [IPNI] [POWO] [Catalogue of Life] [Worldplants.de]

Plant Family :

Bignoniaceae Juss. (The Bignonia Family)
5 species from the Bignoniaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands.

English name(s) :

Cat-claw ivy, Catsclaw trumpet

Maltese name(s) :

Dwiefer il-qattus, Sieq il-qattus

Status for Malta :

Naturalised Alien. Species that was introduced in Malta after year 1492 (Columbus' discovery of the New World) and spreads and integrates to form established, non-invasive populations. Species may become become invasive if it widespreads rapidly.

Frequency :

Very Common     Common    Frequent     Scarce     Rare    Very rare    Extinct

Growth form :

Germination type [info]: Dicotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Nano-Phanerophyte ( small trees to large shrubs, usually shorter than 5 m )

Legal Protection :

Not legally protected till the last update of this website (22/Aug/2025)

Red List (1989) :

Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands

Flowering Time :

April – June

Colour of Flowers:

Yellow

Toxicity:

Not particularly toxic

Name Derivation :

Dolichandra: ()

unguis-cati: ()

Planting in rural areas :

Cannot be planted in the wild (rural areas) since the species may be invasive (see ERA guidelines)

Remarks :

Some classifications prefer Macfadyena unguis-cati as the accepted taxon (e.g. Euro+Med Checklist) while others (e.g. Kew) use Dolichandra unguis-catis. Seems the latter is being accepted by more authorities. The species has been described under some 40 different taxa including genera like Batocydia, Bignonia, Doxantha, Macfadyena, Microbignonia and Spathodea. Sometimes found as a casual escape in the wild.