Antigonon leptopus
Encyclopedia
Antigonon leptopus, commonly known as Mexican Creeper, coral vine or San Miguelito Vine, is a species of flowering plant
in the buckwheat
family, Polygonaceae
, it is a perrenial, that is native to Mexico
. It is a vine with pink or white flower
s.
producing pink or white flowers from spring to autumn, it forms underground tubers and large rootstocks, it is a prolific seed producer, the seeds float on water, the fruit and seeds are eaten and spread by a wide range of animals such as pigs, raccoons and birds. The tubers will resprout if it is cut back or damaged by frost.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the buckwheat
Buckwheat
Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
family, Polygonaceae
Polygonaceae
Polygonaceae is a family of flowering plants known informally as the "knotweed family" or "smartweed family"— "buckwheat family" in the United States. The name is based on the genus Polygonum and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 in his book, Genera Plantarum. The name refers...
, it is a perrenial, that is native to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. It is a vine with pink or white flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s.
Invasive species
It is listed as a category II invasive exotic by the florida's pest plant council.Description
Antigonon leptopus is a fast growing climbing vine that holds via tendrils, and is able to reach 25ft or more in length. It has cordate (heart shaped), sometimes triangular leaves 2½ to 7½ cm long the flowers are borne in panicles, clusted along the rachisRachis
Rachis is a biological term for a main axis or "shaft".-In zoology:In vertebrates a rachis can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this case the rachis usually form the supporting axis of the body and is then called the spine or vertebral column...
producing pink or white flowers from spring to autumn, it forms underground tubers and large rootstocks, it is a prolific seed producer, the seeds float on water, the fruit and seeds are eaten and spread by a wide range of animals such as pigs, raccoons and birds. The tubers will resprout if it is cut back or damaged by frost.