Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Mikania micrantha

Pōkutekute Teatea* (AT)

Mile-a-minute Weed

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type Description Download
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Leaves and flowers 69KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Mile-a-minute Weed

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Pōkutekute (AT); Other Polynesian - Fue Saina (SAM)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Mexico - Caribbean - S.America

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent (post-1930), Naturalised; S.Group - widespread, very common, N.Group - absent; Land, lowlands - mountains (++++)

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine; Invasive - serious, Weed - serious

KEY FEATURES: A slender-stemmed vine, climbing to 20m. LEAVES opposite, glossy green, triangular dissected at base, to 20x10cm, edge wavy, tip sharp; stalk to 10cm. FLOWERS large clusters of small composite flowers 4mmØ, each with 4 disc florets, 2mmØ, white; ray florets absent. SEED black, to 2mm long, with bristles for wind dispersal. Flowers southern winter.

Enlarged Image of 'Mikania micrantha'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR 
MG
AT
MK
MT
AK
PL
TK
MN
++++
-
++++
+
P
P
-
-
-

Northern Group: -
TN 
MH
RK
PK
NS
SW
-
-
-
-
-
-

Key to Symbols

Scientific Taxonomy

Mikania micrantha Kunth ????
TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ASTERIDAE; Asterales; ASTERACEAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Medicine. Comments: Crushed leaves applied to bleeding wounds, and leaf-juice drunk for ?diabetes/?hypertension (Tahitian medicines used on Aitutaki, 2002, the latter use approved for an amputee patient by Dr Mata Stickland)
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Invasive - serious, Weed - serious. Comments: NBSAP - Te Au-o-Tonga (5 of 9 weeds) One of world's 100 invasive alien species [ISSG,2001].

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.5/297 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.392e Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands
p.85 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02, zupD05a

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org. Copy citation to system clipboard
Please refer to our use policy.


Search Biodiversity Database Biodiversity Database

More Options | Help
My List My List

 

 


Copyright © 2007 (July) The Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, all rights reserved.
Copyright & Use Policy