Antigonon leptopus

Antigonon leptopus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Polygonaceae
Genus:	Antigonon
Species:	A. leptopus
Binomial name
Antigonon leptopus Hook. & Arn.[1]

Coral Vine photographed at Jaipur, India.

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 flowers.

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 rachis 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.

References

1. ^ "Taxon: Antigonon leptopus Hook. & Arn.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-06-06. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?3650. Retrieved 2010-10-21. 

External links

Media related to Antigonon leptopus at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Antigonon leptopus at Wikispecies