Coral vine, chain of love
Antigonon leptopus, Fam. Polygonaceae
Vigorous semi-deciduous perennial climber with deciduous hooked axillary tendrils, angular stems and tuberous roots. When supported can grow up to 20m high; forms dense ground cover where there is no climbing support.
| Weed Category: |
Locally Declared Plants Under the Local Law provision of the Local Government Act 1993, Local Government may declare a weed specifically for their Council area and enforce their control.
|
| Weed: | Yes |
| Form or habit: | Vine (Climbing, Twining or groundcover) |
| Family: | Polygonaceae |
| Leaf: | Simple Alternate Arrow to heart-shaped, 70-120 x 50-80mm, dull-green, coarse textured with wavy margins. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Flower colour: |
Pink |
| Flower description: | Tiny, enclosed within deep pink petal-like sepals and borne on large terminal sprays ending with a tendril. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Inconspicuous |
| Fruit colour: |
Green |
| Fruit: | Dry |
| Fruit description: | Green, egg shaped nut enclosed by persistent papery flower parts. |
| Habitat: | |
| Distribution | |
| Food source for: | |
| Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
| Origin: | Mexico and Central America |
| Notes: | Spread by: garden waste; gravity and contaminated soil. Reproduces from seeds, tubers and root suckers. Populations expand by seed falling close to the parent plant. Invades/threats: open forest, beach scrub, coastal strand, alluvial plains and river banks. Notes: smothers native plants in the wet season. Leaves dry out and drop during the dry season providing fuel for fires. Garden escapee. Scattered naturalised populations recorded from throughout this region. |
| Information sources: | Mackay Regional Pest Management Group (2018) Weeds of the Mackay Whitsunday Region Second Edition. |
