Senecio angulatus
Encyclopedia
Senecio angulatus also known as Creeping groundsel
and sometimes as Cape ivy
is a climbing succulent
perennial
from the family Asteraceae
of the genus Senecio
; a native of South Africa
an alien in Australia
,
a problem weed in New Zealand
,
naturalized in North Africa
,
and cultivated elsewhere.
Senecio tamoides
has been misapplied in Australia
and is currently considered to be Senecio angulatus.
whose form is a dense tangled shrub 2 metres (6.6 ft) tall
or a climber to 6 metres (19.7 ft) high,
that can become an aggressive weed once established
smothering the existing native vegetation both in the ground layer and canopy and altering the light climate in the invaded community and sometimes suppressing the regeneration of native plants.
Stems and leaves:
Succulent, pale green stems, often variegated with pale yellow green and purple, slightly angular
(not upright) and usually sparingly branched.
Neither stems nor leaves are hairy.
Thick, glossy, fleshy, coarsely toothed leaves, with one to three teeth each side
and bluntly lobed,
with upper leaves becoming smaller with fewer teeth or none at all.
Leaves are 3.7 centimetres (1.5 in) to 22 centimetres (8.7 in) long and 1 centimetre (0.393700787401575 in) to 14 centimetres (5.5 in) wide and occur in 1-4 pairs.
Leaf stalks are 1 centimetre (0.393700787401575 in) to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long.
The leaves have stalks or stems which embrace the larger leaf surface which is not lobed, oval to triangularly shaped or very blunt to pointed at the tips and blunt to flat at the base. The leaves have a frosted look from a powdery coating on the lower side.
Senecio angulatus will climb if suitable support available.
It can be distinguished vegetatively from Senecio mikanioides by the lack of lobes at the leaf stalk base, the fleshy leaf surface, the outwardly curved leaf teeth.
Flowers:
Senecio angulatus produces numerous flowers
in open clusters at the end of its branches or stems.
Strongly scented flowers on an elongated stem that continue to open in succession from the base up as the stem continues to grow; the mass of clusters ending more flat at the top than pyramid-like, 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 8 centimetres (3.1 in) in diameter. Often the cluster droops with the flower heads at the end of the cluster turning upwards.
Flower stalks are mostly hairless or with some short hairs, 6.5 millimetre (0.255905511811024 in) to 10.5 millimetre (0.413385826771654 in) long. Flower heads are attached to flower stalk by fine pointed 8-11 bracts 5 millimetre (0.196850393700787 in) to 6 millimetre (0.236220472440945 in)
which are surrounded by 4-7 pale green and sometimes purple tinged at the base supplementary bracts, 1.5 millimetres to 2.5 millimetres which make a cup shape around the base of the involucre.
Each stalk is capable of producing 10-15 disc florets.
Flower-heads are radiate and urn-shaped,
ray florets are nearly always absent
yellow ligule when they occur. The corolla has a yellow disc
surrounded by 4–6 dull golden yellow disc florets 5.5 millimetre (0.216535433070866 in) to 9.5 millimetre (0.374015748031496 in) long with hairless tubes, a slight expansion below the middle and lobes 1.3 millimetres to 2 millimetres wide.
Flowering from April to May in Africa and May to July in New Zealand;
S. angulatus flower heads have rays
(that look like petals) that make it more daisy-like
unlike S. mikanioides which doesn't.
Fruits and reproduction:
Creeping groundsel is easily dispersed by wind-blown seed, stem fragments, and dumped garden waste.
Achenes are 3 millimetres to 4 millimetres long,
ribbed or grooved with short hairs in the grooves
and a tapering cylindrical shape.
The parachute like hairs, the pappus, are 5 millimetres to 7 millimetres long.
and grey sand
, sandy clay
and limestone
; and finding homes with these soils in coastal areas
on cliff
faces, mudflat
s, wet depressions in dune
s, near swamps,
in landfill
s and scrubland and near settlements
especially near the sea.
Native:
Current
Sources: GRIN, ALUKA, FBAF, NSWF, NZPND, BGB
and sometimes as Cape ivy
is a climbing succulent
Succulent plant
Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climates or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems, and also in roots...
perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
from the family Asteraceae
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...
of the genus Senecio
Senecio
Senecio is a genus of the daisy family that includes ragworts and groundsels. The flower heads are normally rayed, completely yellow, and the heads are borne in branched clusters...
; a native of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
an alien in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
,
a problem weed in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
,
naturalized in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
,
and cultivated elsewhere.
Senecio tamoides
Senecio tamoides
Senecio tamoides or also known as Canary creeper is a climbing member of the genus Senecio of the family Asteraceae.-Description:Scramblingmostly evergreenperennial,...
has been misapplied in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and is currently considered to be Senecio angulatus.
Description
Described as scrambling and as a twining herbwhose form is a dense tangled shrub 2 metres (6.6 ft) tall
or a climber to 6 metres (19.7 ft) high,
that can become an aggressive weed once established
smothering the existing native vegetation both in the ground layer and canopy and altering the light climate in the invaded community and sometimes suppressing the regeneration of native plants.
Stems and leaves:
Succulent, pale green stems, often variegated with pale yellow green and purple, slightly angular
(not upright) and usually sparingly branched.
Neither stems nor leaves are hairy.
and bluntly lobed,
with upper leaves becoming smaller with fewer teeth or none at all.
Leaves are 3.7 centimetres (1.5 in) to 22 centimetres (8.7 in) long and 1 centimetre (0.393700787401575 in) to 14 centimetres (5.5 in) wide and occur in 1-4 pairs.
Leaf stalks are 1 centimetre (0.393700787401575 in) to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long.
The leaves have stalks or stems which embrace the larger leaf surface which is not lobed, oval to triangularly shaped or very blunt to pointed at the tips and blunt to flat at the base. The leaves have a frosted look from a powdery coating on the lower side.
Senecio angulatus will climb if suitable support available.
It can be distinguished vegetatively from Senecio mikanioides by the lack of lobes at the leaf stalk base, the fleshy leaf surface, the outwardly curved leaf teeth.
Flowers:
Senecio angulatus produces numerous flowers
in open clusters at the end of its branches or stems.
Strongly scented flowers on an elongated stem that continue to open in succession from the base up as the stem continues to grow; the mass of clusters ending more flat at the top than pyramid-like, 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 8 centimetres (3.1 in) in diameter. Often the cluster droops with the flower heads at the end of the cluster turning upwards.
which are surrounded by 4-7 pale green and sometimes purple tinged at the base supplementary bracts, 1.5 millimetres to 2.5 millimetres which make a cup shape around the base of the involucre.
Each stalk is capable of producing 10-15 disc florets.
Flower-heads are radiate and urn-shaped,
ray florets are nearly always absent
yellow ligule when they occur. The corolla has a yellow disc
surrounded by 4–6 dull golden yellow disc florets 5.5 millimetre (0.216535433070866 in) to 9.5 millimetre (0.374015748031496 in) long with hairless tubes, a slight expansion below the middle and lobes 1.3 millimetres to 2 millimetres wide.
Flowering from April to May in Africa and May to July in New Zealand;
S. angulatus flower heads have rays
(that look like petals) that make it more daisy-like
unlike S. mikanioides which doesn't.
Fruits and reproduction:
Creeping groundsel is easily dispersed by wind-blown seed, stem fragments, and dumped garden waste.
Achenes are 3 millimetres to 4 millimetres long,
ribbed or grooved with short hairs in the grooves
and a tapering cylindrical shape.
The parachute like hairs, the pappus, are 5 millimetres to 7 millimetres long.
Distribution
Preferring soils of black calcareousCalcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
and grey sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
, sandy clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
; and finding homes with these soils in coastal areas
Coastal plain
A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...
on cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
faces, mudflat
Mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats, are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. Mudflats may be viewed geologically as exposed layers of bay mud, resulting from deposition of...
s, wet depressions in dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
s, near swamps,
in landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
s and scrubland and near settlements
especially near the sea.
Native:
- AfrotropicAfrotropicThe Afrotropic is one of the Earth's eight ecozones. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the southern and eastern fringes of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly...
- Southern Africa: South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
- Southern Africa: South Africa
Current
- AfrotropicAfrotropicThe Afrotropic is one of the Earth's eight ecozones. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the southern and eastern fringes of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly...
- East Tropical Africa: UgandaUgandaUganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state... - Southern Africa: South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
- East Tropical Africa: Uganda
- AustralasiaAustralasiaAustralasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
- Western Australia: (Esperance PlainsEsperance PlainsEsperance Plains, also known as Eyre Botanical District, is a biogeographic region in southern Western Australia. Located on the south coast between the Avon Wheatbelt and Hampton regions, and bordered to the north by the Mallee region, it is a plain punctuated by granite and quartz outcrops and...
, WarrenWarren (biogeographic region)Warren, also known as Karri Forest Region and the Jarrah-Karri forest and shrublands ecoregion, is a biogeographic region in southern Western Australia. Located in the southwest corner of Western Australia between Cape Naturaliste and Albany, it is bordered to the north and east by the Jarrah...
, Swan Coastal PlainSwan Coastal PlainThe Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. The coastal plain continues well beyond the boundaries of the Swan River and its tributaries, as a geological and biological zone, one of Western Australia's...
), New South WalesGeography of New South WalesNew South Wales is Australia's most populous state, located in the east coast of the continent. It is in the southern hemisphere between latitudes 28 and 38 degrees south of the equator and longitudes 143 and 154 degrees east of the Universal Prime Meridian...
, VictoriaVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. - New Zealand: New Zealand North, New Zealand South (Nelson CityNelson, New ZealandNelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
, Wairau BarWairau BarThe Wairau Bar, or Te Pokohiwi, is a 19 ha gravel bar formed where the Wairau River meets the sea in Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, north-eastern South Island, New Zealand. It is an important archaeological site, apparently settled within one or two generations of the arrival of Polynesians in New...
(MarlboroughMarlborough, New ZealandMarlborough is one of the regions of New Zealand, located in the northeast of the South Island. Marlborough is a unitary authority, both a region and a district, and its council is located at Blenheim. Marlborough is known for its dry climate, the picturesque Marlborough Sounds, and sauvignon blanc...
), Banks PeninsulaBanks PeninsulaBanks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves...
)
- Western Australia: (Esperance Plains
- PalearcticPalearcticThe Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight ecozones dividing the Earth's surface.Physically, the Palearctic is the largest ecozone...
- Macaronesia: Canary IslandsCanary IslandsThe Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
(Gran CanariaGran CanariaGran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
, Hierro, TenerifeTenerifeTenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
), Balearic IslandsBalearic IslandsThe Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
(IbizaIbizaIbiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
, FormenteraFormenteraFormentera is the smaller and more southerly island of the Pine Islands group , which belongs to the Balearic Islands autonomous community .-Geography:...
, MallorcaMallorcaMajorca or Mallorca is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the Balearic Islands.The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Majorca...
, Menorca) - Southwestern Europe: CorsicaCorsicaCorsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, Channel IslandsChannel IslandsThe Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
& MonacoMonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... - Southeastern Europe: ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, SicilySicilySicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and surrounding islands
- Macaronesia: Canary Islands
Sources: GRIN, ALUKA, FBAF, NSWF, NZPND, BGB