Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis

Global description

Anredera cordifolia is an evergreen long-lived climber that grows up to 6 m long from fleshy rhizomes. It has shiny green, slightly fleshy, alternate heart-shaped leaves. Its stems are slender, hairless, often reddish. They grow in twining fashion, and become rope-like and greyish-brown as they mature. Wart-like greyish-brown or greenish tubers are produced on older aerial stems and are a key characteristic of the species. Anredera cordifolia produces masses of drooping flower clusters arising from the forks of the upper leaves. The small flowers are star shaped, with persistent fleshy petals, cream in color, but turning dark brown or black with age.

First leaves

Stemming from the budding tuber. They are simple, alternate, with a long petiole. The blade is orbicular, deeply cordate at the base and acuminate at the apex, completely glabrous, shiny light green and fleshy.

General habit

A long-lived, twining or climbing plant, relatively fleshy, growing over taller plants and trees up to 30 m tall.

Underground system

Fleshy rhizome.

Stem

The stems are cylindrical, up to 4 cm in diameter, solid, hairless (glabrous) and grow in a twining fashion. Younger stems are green or reddish in colour and round in cross-section. They become rope-like in appearance and turn greyish-brown in colour as they mature. Distinctive greyish-brown or greenish-coloured warty tubers (1-10 cm long, but usually 2-3 cm long) often form at the joints (nodes) along the older stems. These wart-like tubers are very characteristic.

Leaf

The leaves are simple, alternate, slightly fleshy, hairless and sometimes glossy. They are borne on leaf stalks, 5-20 mm long and are heart-shaped or broadly ovate, 2-12 cm long, 1.5-10 cm wide; the base is rounded to cordate, the tip is somewhat rounded or tapers to a point. Lateral veins are four to six on each side of the midrib.

Inflorescence

Inflorescence arises from the forks of the upper leaves (axillary). It is a panicle usually consisting of three elongated racemes, 6-40 cm long (with peduncle).

Flower

Flowers are numerous, star-shaped, small (about 5 mm across), white or cream-colored and fragrant, borne on short stalks, 2-3 mm long. There are five small petal-like segments, five stamens and an ovary topped with a three-branched style and three tiny club-shaped stigmas. The petals (2-3 mm long) are fleshy, persistent and turn dark brown or black in color with age.

Fruit

This plant does not produce fruit in Africa.

Origin

Anredera cordifolia is native to South America.

Worldwide distribution

This species has been introduced into Central and South America, Western Europe (France, Spain, Portugal, Sicily), North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), Southern Africa, India and South-East Asia. In the Indian Ocean, it is found in Mauritius and Réunion. It is also present in the Pacific in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, the Society Islands and Hawaii.

https://www.gbif.org/species/3083508