moth vine

Moth vine

Araujia sericifera
Garden escapee that smothers shrubs and small trees, depressing their growth. Weed of wasteland and forests adjoining settlement, mainly in coastal higher rainfall areas.
Family: Asclepiadaceae
Origin: Southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay
Habit: Twining perennial climber reaching up to 6 m on supporting vegetation. Milky latex exuded from damaged stems and leaves
Leaves: Opposite, oblong to triangular, 3–11 cm long, 1–6 cm wide, dark green above, grey-green below.
Flowers: Fragrant, tubular, 0.8–1.4 cm long, 5-lobed, 5-stamens, white to pale pink in groups of 2–5. Flowers late spring to autumn.
Fruit: Grey-green choko shaped pod, turning brown and woody with age, opening to release numerous black seeds aprox 4 mm long each possessing a tuft of white silky hairs that aid its spread by wind.
Roots: Shallow and fibrous.
Dispersal: Seeds spread by wind, water and contaminated soil (earthmoving equipment, car tyres etc)
Control: Hand pull/Dig, Scrape and Paint, skirting, foliar spray for seedlings.
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