FoI
Climbing Hempweed
Share Foto info
Climbing Hempweed
aturalized Photo: Tabish
Common name: Climbing Hempweed, American rope, Bittervine, Chinese creeper, Mikania vine • Manipuri: ꯎꯔꯤ ꯍꯤꯡꯆꯥꯕꯤ Uri hingchabi • Nepali: लहरे बनमारा Lahare Banamaaraa • Mizo: Japanhlo • Assamese: জাপানী লতা Japani-lota
Botanical name: Mikania micrantha    Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)
Synonyms: Mikania cordata var. indica

Climbing Hempweed is a branched, slender-stemmed perennial vine, native to South America. It is an aggressive weed which has now dominated many states of NE India, and has also naturalized in the Himalayas. Oppositely arranged leaves are heart-shaped or triangular with an pointed tip and a broad base, 4-13 cm long. Strongly fragrant flowers, each 3-5 mm long, are arranged in dense corymbs in leaf axils or at the end of branches. Each flower-head is 4.5-6 mm long. Individual florets are white to greenish-white, 4 in each head. Climbing Hempweed is found at altitudes of 700-1200 m.

Identification credit: Prashant Awale, Arunraj Kedharam Photographed in Manipur, Mizoram & Kalimpong, West Bengal.

• Is this flower misidentified? If yes,