Mikania cordata


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Mikania cordata (Burm. f.) Robinson

Family: Asteraceae, Tribe: Eupatorieae

Common names: mile-a-minute, African mile-a-minute

Disseminule: Fruit

Description

Fruit an achene, narrowly oblanceolate, often slightly curved, 2-3.5 mm long, 0.4-0.5(0.75) mm in diameter, with 5 light brown longitudinal ribs; cross section 5 sided, sides +/- concave. Surface blackish-brown, minutely granular, with few to many conspicuous drops of amber resin. Scar basal, a short, tawny, narrow, irregularly cylindrical collar. Pappus one row of 40-45 ivory to light reddish-brown finely barbed bristles, 4-5 mm long. Pappus mostly persistent. Style base inconspicuous. Apex horizontal, blackish-brown, granular. Embryo spatulate, cotyledons minimally expanded; endosperm absent.

Identification remarks

Similar species

Ageratina adenophora (Sprengel) R. King & H. Robinson (=Eupatorium adenophorum Sprengel)

Mikania micrantha Kunth

Ageratina riparia (Regel) R. King & Robinson (=Eupatorium riparium Regel)

Mikania scandens (L.) Willd.

Distribution

African tropics and South Africa, Indian subcontinent and China through Southeast Asia to the Pacific Islands.

Native to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Habitat

Tropics, prefers damp soil; a weed along rivers and streams, of forest borders and clearings, open disturbed areas, roadsides, tree plantations.

General information

Mikania cordata is a rapidly-growing, creeping or twining perennial vine up to 10 m long, considered a more serious weed than M. micrantha. It twines around young tree crops, smothering them and forming dense, tangled masses. Propagation is by the wind-borne achenes, but vegetative reproduction is probably the more important means of spread. Roots can form at stem nodes, and even on small stem fragments with a single node. Stem fragments can be dispersed by cultivation and other means. M. cordata contains a substance that inhibits growth of other plants.