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Bibliography on Mikania micrantha

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Mikania micrantha is one of the species we photographed in Paso Caballos, part of our last expedition in Peten. We are studying this species in Guatemala and are curious why no one lists this one species as edible, meanwhile elsewhere Americas mention the fruits and leaves edible of different species of Mikania

Pagad (2005) Mikania micrantha is a perennial creeping climber known for its vigorous and unrestrained growth. It grows best where fertility, organic matter, soil moisture, and humidity are high. It damages or kills other plants by cutting off light and suffocating them. Native to Central and South America. It is one of the most widespread and troublesome weeds in the Pacific region. Its seeds are dispersed by the wind.

Botanical description:

A branched, slender-stemmed perennial vine. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs along the stems and are heart-shaped or triangular with an acute tip and a broad base. Leaves may be 4-13cm long. The flowers, each 3-5mm long, are arranged in dense terminal or axillary corymbs. Individual florets are white to greenish-white. The seed is black, linear-oblong, five-angled and about 2mm long. Each seed has a terminal pappus of white bristles that facilitates dispersal by wind or on the hair of animals (Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk).

Mikania scandes can be confuse with Mikania micrantha, but there are some differences you can keep in mind: The inflorescence is habitually looser and more paniculate in M. micrantha than in M. scandens; the inflorescence in M. scandens is mostly crowded with round-topped corymbs. The phyllaries (bracts) of the heads are acute in M. micrantha rather than attenuate as in M. scandens.  M. micrantha seems never to show the purplish coloration which is nearly always present in M. scandens.  Although the leaves vary greatly in contour both in M. scandens and in M. micrantha, they tend on the whole to be more sharply angled and triangular-sagittate or -hastate in M. scandens and more oval, cordate, and merely crenate in M. micrantha" (Holm et al., 1977; p. 322).

Spider Lily Savanna

Spider Lily Savanna

Spider Lily Savanna

   

PDF, Articles, Books on Mikania micrantha

  • COLARES, Marta
  • 2010
  • Mikania cordifolia y Mikania micrantha (Asteraceae): especies medicinales nativas de las reservas naturales de Punta Lara e Isla Martín García, Buenos Aires, Argentina. SEDICI.

    Downloadable online:
    http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/2664
  • DONG, L., JIA, X., LOU, Q., ZHANG, Q., LUO, B., LIU, W., ZHANG, X., LIN, Q. and J. TAN
  • 2017
  • Phenolics from Mikania micrantha and Their Antioxidant Activity. Molecules.

    Downloadable online:
    www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/7/1140
  • DOU, X., ZHANG, Y., SUN, N., WU, Y. and L, LI
  • 2014
  • The anti-tumor activity of Mikania micrantha aqueous extract in vitro and in vivo. Cytotechnology, Vol. 66, pages107–117.

    Downloadable online:
    www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3886538/
   

Suggested web pages
with photos and information on Mikania micrantha

www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/34095
Complete information.

www.hear.org/pier/species/mikania_micrantha.htm
Botanical description, general information and photos.

http://issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=42&fr=1&sts=&lang=EN
Complete information and photos.

 

   

First posted February, 2022
Bibliography prepared by FLAAR MESOAMERICA


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