Sembung rambat or bitter vine (Mikania micrantha) is a plant species in Asteraceae, crawling or wrapped around trees, perennial that grows up to 27 mm per day in tropical climates, branched stems where heart-shaped or triangular leaves are arranged in pairs and a plant can cover more than 25 square meters in a few months.
M. micrantha has square-shaped stems or longitudinal bones, light green, many branches and has fine hairs. The stems have segments for lengths of 75-215 mm, each segment has a pair of leaves, new shoots and flowers. New roots grow when the segments come in contact with the soil.
The leaves are in pairs and facing each other. Strands do not have hair, heart-shaped or triangular with jagged edges, length 30-125 mm, width 15-60 mm. Petiole is 1-6 cm long and has fine hairs.
The flower panicle grows from the armpit of the leaf and the tip of the stem, having 3-15 mm long stems. Each flower head has 4 minor flowers. The crown is greenish-white, tubular and measures 4-6.5 mm. Black anthers grayish with white.
Formation of seeds begins 17-21 days after flowering, brown to black, linear-oval, five angles, 2 mm long and equipped with 32-38 soft white feathers to fly long distances in the wind or stick to animal hair.
TAXON
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Eupatorieae
Subtribe: Mikaniinae
Genus: Mikania Willd. in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 3: 1481, 1742 (1803)
Species: Mikania micrantha Kunth in F.W.H.von Humboldt, A.J.A.Bonpland & C.S.Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp., ed. fol., 4: 105 (1818)
HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS
Willoughbya micrantha (Kunth) Rusby in Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 4: 211 (1895)
HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS
Eupatorium denticulatum Vahl in Symb. Bot. 3: 93 (1794)
Eupatorium orinocense (Kunth) M.Gómez in Dicc. Bot. Nom. Vulg. Cub. Puerto-Riquenos: 55 (1889)
Eupatorium orinocense var. batatifolium M.Gómez in Anales Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat. 19: 269 (1890)
Eupatorium orinocense var. tamoides M.Gómez (1890)
Mikania cordata var. indica Kitam. in Fl. E. Himalaya: 241 (1966)
Mikania deltoides Poepp. ex Spreng. in Syst. Veg., ed. 16. 3: 423 (1826)
Mikania denticulata (Vahl) Willd. in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 3: 1744 (1803)
Mikania glechomifolia Sch.Bip. ex Baker in C.F.P.von Martius & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Bras. 6(2): 249 (1876)
Mikania micrantha var. cynanchifolia B.L.Rob. in Contr. Gray Herb. 64: 67 (1922)
Mikania micrantha f. hirsuta B.L.Rob. (1922)
Mikania micrantha f. typica B.L.Rob. (1922)
Mikania orinocensis Kunth in F.W.H.von Humboldt, A.J.A.Bonpland & C.S.Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp., ed. fol., 4: 105 (1818)
Mikania scandens var. hirsuta Hieron. in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 19: 47 (1894)
Mikania scandens var. subcymosa (Gardner) Baker (1876)
Mikania scandens var. umbellifera (Gardner) Baker (1876)
Mikania scandens var. villosa Hieron. in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 36: 473 (1905)
Mikania sinuata Rusby in Bull. New York Bot. Gard. 8: 127 (1912)
Mikania subcrenata Hook. & Arn. in Compan. Bot. Mag. 1: 243 (1836)
Mikania subcymosa Gardner in London J. Bot. 6: 448 (1847)
Mikania tamoides DC. in Prodr. 5: 197 (1836)
Mikania umbellifera Gardner in London J. Bot. 4: 119 (1845)
Mikania variabilis Meyen & Walp. in Nov. Actorum Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 19(Suppl. 1): 257 (1843)
Willoughbya heterophylla Small in Fl. S.E. U.S.: 1170, 1338 (1903)
Willoughbya scandens var. orinocensis (Kunth) Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 372 (1891)
Willoughbya variabilis (Meyen & Walp.) Kuntze (1891)
PUBLICATIONS
Barooah, C. & Ahmed, I. (2014). Plant diversity of Assam. A checklist of Angiosperms and Gymnosperms: 1-599. Assam science technology and environment council, India.
Kiew, R. & al. (eds.) (2021). Malayan Forest Records 49: 1-403.
Kitalong, A.H., DeMeo, R.A. & Holm, T. (2008). Native Trees Palau. A field guide: 1-236.
Koyama, H., Bunwong, S., Pornpongrungrueng, P. & Hind, D.J.N. (2016). Flora of Thailand 13(2): 143-428. The Forest Herbarium, Royal Forest Department.
Liogier, A.H. (1996). Flora de la Española 8: 1-588. Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo.
Plunkett, G.M., Ranker, T.A., Sam, C. & Balick, M.J. (2022). Towards a checklist of the vascular flora of Vanuatu. Candollea 77: 105-118.
Prakash, L. & Balasubramanian, P. (2018). Invasive alien flora of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Southern Eastern Ghats, India. Indian Forester 144: 857-862.
Pruski, J.F. (ed.) (2018). Flora Mesoamericana 5(2): 1-608. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F.
Rajbhandari, K.R., Rai, S.K. & Chhetri, R. (2024). A Handbook of the Flowering Plants of Nepal 5: 1-432. Department of Plant Resources, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Roskov Y. & al. (eds.) (2018). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Turner, I.M. (1995). A catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Malaya. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 47(1): 1-346.
Whistler, A. (2018). Flora of Tokelau: 1-126. Isle Botanica, Honolulu.
Whistler, W.A. (2022). Flora of Samoa Flowering Plants: 1-930. National Tropical Botanicl Garden. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
VERNACULAR NAME
Ambon: Hila Hitu Lama
Assamese: Japani-lota
Dayak: Akar Bulou
English: Bitter vine, Mile-a-minute
Indonesian: Sembung Rambat
Java: Brojo Lego
Manipuri: Uri hingchabi
Minang: Blukar
Mizo: Japanhlo
Nepali: Lahare Banamaaraa
South Tapanuli: Siroppaspara
Sunda: Caputuheun
Aryo Bandoro
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