Mikania
Encyclopedia
Mikania is a genus of about 450 species in the family of Asteraceae
.
The name honors the Czech botanist Johann Christian Mikan
. Members of the genus are stem twiners and liana
s and are common in the neotropical flora
. Mikania originates from South America. A few species, such as Mikania scandens, are found in temperate areas of North and South America, and nine species are known from the Old World tropics. As with other plants in the tribe Eupatorieae
, the flowers have disc florets and no ray florets.
The species Mikania laevigata and Mikania glomerata, also known as guaco
, are popular in herbal medicine.
Mikania micrantha
is a widespread weed
in the tropics. It grows very quickly (as fast as 80 mm in 24 hours for a young plant) and covers other plants. People have looked into controlling it with herbicide
s, parasitic plants, fungi and insects.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
.
The name honors the Czech botanist Johann Christian Mikan
Johann Christian Mikan
Johann Christian Mikan, was an Austrian-Czech botanist, zoologist and entomologist. He was the son of Joseph Gottfried Mikan....
. Members of the genus are stem twiners and liana
Liana
A liana is any of various long-stemmed, woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy to get access to well-lit areas of the forest. Lianas are especially characteristic of tropical moist deciduous...
s and are common in the neotropical flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
. Mikania originates from South America. A few species, such as Mikania scandens, are found in temperate areas of North and South America, and nine species are known from the Old World tropics. As with other plants in the tribe Eupatorieae
Eupatorieae
Eupatorieae is a tribe of over 2000 species of plants in the aster family. Most of the species are native to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate areas of the Americas, but some are found elsewhere...
, the flowers have disc florets and no ray florets.
The species Mikania laevigata and Mikania glomerata, also known as guaco
Guaco
Gauco, huaco, or guao, also vejuco and bejuco are terms applied to various vine-like Central and South American, and West Indian climbing plants, reputed to have curative powers....
, are popular in herbal medicine.
Mikania micrantha
Mikania micrantha
Mikania micrantha is a tropical plant in the Asteraceae. It is also known as the Bitter Vine in the Commonwealth of The Northern Marianas Island....
is a widespread weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
in the tropics. It grows very quickly (as fast as 80 mm in 24 hours for a young plant) and covers other plants. People have looked into controlling it with herbicide
Herbicide
Herbicides, also commonly known as weedkillers, are pesticides used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant...
s, parasitic plants, fungi and insects.
Selected species
- Mikania andreiMikania andreiMikania andrei is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Ecuador) - Mikania batatifolia (FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and West Indies) - Mikania capensis (Africa)
- Mikania chimborazensisMikania chimborazensisMikania chimborazensis is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Ecuador) - Mikania cordifolia (northern ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
to southeastern United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) - Mikania cuencanaMikania cuencanaMikania cuencana is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Ecuador) - Mikania harlingiiMikania harlingiiMikania harlingii is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.It is threatened by habitat loss....
(Ecuador) - Mikania iodotrichaMikania iodotrichaMikania iodotricha is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland....
(Ecuador) - Mikania isernianaMikania isernianaMikania iserniana is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Ecuador) - Mikania jamesoniiMikania jamesoniiMikania jamesonii is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Ecuador) - Mikania micranthaMikania micranthaMikania micrantha is a tropical plant in the Asteraceae. It is also known as the Bitter Vine in the Commonwealth of The Northern Marianas Island....
(widespread weed in many tropical areas) - Mikania milleiMikania milleiMikania millei, the Poroto Angu, is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is endemic to Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Ecuador) - Mikania natalensisMikania natalensisMikania natalensis, the Natal Mikania, is a plant in the Asteraceae family, and is native to Africa.-Distribution and habitat:It is found on forest margins from the Eastern Cape of South Africa to Tropical Africa.-Description:...
(Africa) - Mikania pulverulentaMikania pulverulentaMikania pulverulenta is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Ecuador) - Mikania seemanniiMikania seemanniiMikania seemannii is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Ecuador) - Mikania scandens (Mexico, Bahamas, and eastern United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) - Mikania stereolepisMikania stereolepisMikania stereolepis is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Ecuador) - Mikania tafallanaMikania tafallanaMikania tafallana is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Ecuador)