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• Mikania scandens

Mikania scandens — climbing hempvine

Facts

Climbing hempvine inhabits riparian and lakeside forests and thickets in eastern North America. In the northern part of New England it is confined to the coastal plain. The Seminole Indians used this plant to treat skin conditions resulting in itching.

Habitat

Floodplain (river or stream floodplains), forests, shrublands or thickets

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Bases of bract appendages

  NA

  Bract cycle number

  there is one main cycle of bracts

  Bract outer side hair type

  the bracts are not hairy on their outer surface

  Bract shape

  • the main bracts are lanceolate (widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip)
  • the main bracts are linear (long and very narrow)

  Bract tip shape

  the tips of the bracts are acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)

  Disk flower color

  • blue to purple
  • pink to red
  • white

  Disk flower lobe number

  5

  Disk flower number

  1-5

  Disk flower reproductive parts

  the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts

  Disk width

  6–7 mm

  Flower head outer flowers

  at the outer edge of the flower head, the flowers have no enlarged lobe or strap, and are of similar size as those in the center of the disk

  Flower head platform

  the base has no bristles or papery scales

  Flower head platform surface

  NA

  Flower head profile

  the disk is flat or nearly flat across the top

  Flower head shape

  the sides of the flower head are roughly parallel, like a cylinder

  Flower type in flower heads

  the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers

  Height of flower head base

  4–5.5 mm

  Inflorescence branching (Solidago)

  NA

  Inflorescence shape

  the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile

  Number of bracts at flower head base

  4

  Ovary attachment

  the ovary is attached at or near the base

  Ovary lines or ribs

  there are four to six lines or ribs visible on the ovary

  Ovary profile

  in profile, the ovary is lanceolate (widest below the middle, tapering to both ends)

  Ray flower color

  NA

  Ray flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Ray flowers

  0

  Ray length

  0 mm

  Reproductive system

  all the flowers on the plant contain both carpels and stamens

  Scale tip

  NA

  Style branches

  the style branch is narrow at the tip, or the style branches are narrow at the tips

• Fruits or seeds

  Number of pappus parts

  11 or more

  Ovary length in developed fruit

  1.8–2.2 mm

  Seed hair tuft bases

  the pappus hairs are attached to one another near the base

  Seed hair tuft color

  • the pappus hairs are another color
  • the pappus hairs are pale red to red-brown or purple
  • the pappus hairs are white or off-white

  Seed hair tuft details

  the pappus hairs are hooked or barbed

  Seed hair tuft length

  4–4.5 mm

  Seed hair tuft tips

  the pappus hairs are slender

  Seed tuft scale number

  0

  Seed tuft type

  the pappus is made of very fine hairs or bristles

  Top of disk flower ovary

  NA

  Tuft or plume on fruit

  at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles

• Glands or sap

  Leaf blade glands

  the leaf blades have no glandular (translucent) dots or scales

  Ovary glands

  there are glands on the ovary surface

  Sap

  the sap is clear and watery

• Growth form

  Growth form

  the plant is a vine that crawls or climbs, and is unable to support its own weight

  Plant lifespan

  the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases

  Spines on plant

  the plant has no spines

• Leaves

  Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)

  0 mm

  Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)

  0 mm

  Hairs on underside of leaf blade

  • the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
  • the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs

  Hairs on upper side of leaf blade

  • the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
  • the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs

  Leaf arrangement

  opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem

  Leaf blade base

  the leaf has a distinct petiole

  Leaf blade base shape

  the base of the leaf is cordate (heart-shaped) or sagittate (arrow-shaped)

  Leaf blade bloom

  the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom

  Leaf blade edges

  • the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
  • the edge of the leaf blade has teeth

  Leaf blade length

  30–150 mm

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is triangular, with the stalk or attachment point on one of the sides

  Leaf blade surface colors

  there is no noticeable color variation on the upper surface of the leaf

  Leaf blade tip

  • the tip of the leaf blade is acuminate (tapers to a long, thin point)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is caudate (has a very long tail-like projection ending in a point)

  Leaf blade veins

  the leaf blade has three main veins running from the base towards the tip

  Leaf blade width

  20–110 mm

  Leaf disposition

  the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem

  Leaf spines

  there are no spines on the leaf edges

  Leaf stalk

  the leaves have leaf stalks

  Leaf stalk length

  20–50 mm

  Leaf tip extension

  NA

  Leaf type

  leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Leaflet number

  0

  Specific leaf type

  the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets

  Teeth per side of leaf blade

  At least 0

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island

  Specific habitat

  • forests
  • river or stream floodplains
  • shrublands or thickets

• Scent

  Plant odor

  the plant does not have much of an odor

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Flowering stem cross-section

  • the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles
  • the flowering stem is roughly square

  Leaves on stem

  there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem

  Stem bloom

  there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem

  Stem internode hair direction

  the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards

  Stem internode hair length

  At least 0 mm

  Stem internode hairs

  • the stem has hairs between the nodes
  • the stem has no hairs between the nodes

  Stem wings

  the stem does not have wings on it

Wetland status

Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae