Coral vine, chain of love

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.