balloon vine

balloon vine
a tropical climbing plant, Cardiospermum halicacabum, of the soapberry family, bearing big, bladderlike pods and black seeds with a white, heart-shaped spot.
[1830-40, Amer.]

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▪ plant
also called  Heart-pea, or Heart-seed 

      (species Cardiospermum halicacabum), woody perennial vine in the soapberry family (Sapindaceae) that is native to subtropical and tropical America. It is naturalized and cultivated widely as an ornamental for its white flowers and its nearly globular inflated fruits, which are about 2.5 cm (1 inch) across. The seeds are black with a heart-shaped white spot. The vine can reach an extension of 3 m (10 feet) as a perennial but is usually grown from seed as an annual.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • balloon vine — ☆ balloon vine n. a tropical American vine (Cardiospermum halicacabum) of the soapberry family, bearing inflated triangular pods …   English World dictionary

  • balloon-vine — balloonˈ vineˈ noun Heartseed, a tropical American climber with bladdery pods • • • Main Entry: ↑balloon …   Useful english dictionary

  • balloon vine — balloon′ vine n. pln a tropical climbing plant, Cardiospermum halicacabum, of the soapberry family, bearing large pods • Etymology: 1830–40 …   From formal English to slang

  • balloon vine — noun A tropical perennial climbing vine, Cardiospermum halicacabum, having ornamental balloon like fruits …   Wiktionary

  • balloon vine — noun Date: 1836 a tropical American vine (Cardiospermum halicacabum) of the soapberry family bearing large ornamental pods …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • balloon vine — noun woody perennial climbing plant with large ornamental seed pods that resemble balloons; tropical India and Africa and America • Syn: ↑heart pea, ↑Cardiospermum halicacabum • Hypernyms: ↑soapberry vine …   Useful english dictionary

  • Balloon vine — Cardiospermum (E) …   EthnoBotanical Dictionary

  • balloon vine — /bəˈlun vaɪn/ (say buh loohn vuyn) noun 1. a climbing plant, Cardiospermum halicacabum, of tropical America, much cultivated elsewhere for its large, ornamental bladder like fruits. 2. any of various other climbing plants of the genus… …  

  • balloon vine —   Pōniu, hale a ka i a, inalua …   English-Hawaiian dictionary

  • soapberry vine — noun tendril climbing vine • Hypernyms: ↑vine • Hyponyms: ↑heartseed, ↑Cardiospermum grandiflorum, ↑balloon vine, ↑heart pea, ↑Cardiospermum halicacabum • Member …   Useful english dictionary

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