Mikania

Mikania

Mikania scandens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Tribe:	Eupatorieae
Genus:	Mikania Willd. 1803, conserved name not F.W.Schmidt 1795 (Asteraceae) nor Neck. 1790 (Moraceae)
Synonyms^[1]
Morrenia Kunze Kanimia Gardner Corynanthelium Kunze Wikstroemia Spreng. Carelia Juss. ex Cav. Catophyllum Pohl ex Baker Willoughbya Neck. ex Kuntze Willugbaeya Neck.

Mikania micrantha in Kerala

Mikania is a genus of about 450^[2] species in the boneset tribe within the sunflower family.

The name honors the Czech botanist Johann Christian Mikan, 1743–1814.^[2] Members of the genus are stem twiners and lianas 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.^[2] 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.^[3] People have looked into controlling it with herbicides, parasitic plants, fungi and insects.

Selected species

Mikania andrei (Ecuador)
Mikania batatifolia (Florida and West Indies)^[4]
Mikania capensis (Africa)
Mikania chimborazensis (Ecuador)
Mikania cordifolia (northern Argentina to southeastern United States (Texas to Florida))^[5]
Mikania cuencana (Ecuador)
Mikania harlingii (Ecuador)
Mikania iodotricha (Ecuador)
Mikania iserniana (Ecuador)
Mikania jamesonii (Ecuador)
Mikania micrantha (widespread weed in many tropical areas including southern Florida)
Mikania millei (Ecuador)
Mikania natalensis (Africa)
Mikania oreophila (Brazil)
Mikania pulverulenta (Ecuador)
Mikania seemannii (Ecuador)
Mikania scandens (Mexico, Bahamas, and eastern United States as far north as Maine + Michigan)^[6]
Mikania stereolepis (Ecuador)
Mikania tafallana (Ecuador)

Gallery of Mikania micrantha

Common Peirrot Castalius rosimon on Mikania micrantha at Narendrapur near Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Common Peirrot Castalius rosimon on Mikania micrantha at Narendrapur near Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Common Peirrot Castalius rosimon on Mikania micrantha at Narendrapur near Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Grey Pansy Junonia atlites on Mikania micrantha in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Peacock Pansy Junonia almana- Dry season form on Mikania micrantha in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Peacock Pansy Junonia almana- Dry season form on Mikania micrantha in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Peacock Pansy Junonia almana- Dry season form on Mikania micrantha in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Common Five-ring Ypthima baldus on Mikania micrantha in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

References

↑ Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist
1 2 3 "Mikania". Flora of North America.
↑ "INVASIVES: Newsletter of the Asia-Pacific Forest Invasive Species Network (APFISN)" (PDF) 8. February 2007.
↑ "Mikania batatifolia de Candolle". Flora of North America.
↑ "Mikania cordifolia (Linnaeus f.) Willdenow". Flora of North America.
↑ "Mikania scandens (Linnaeus) Willdenow". Flora of North America.

Wikisource has the text of the 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article Mikania.

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, December 19, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.