''Mikania natalensis'', the Natal mikania, is a plant in the family Asteraceae, and is native to Africa.

Description

''Mikania natalensis'' is a herbaceous, vigorous perennial climber. The leaves are opposite and well spaced. The leaf stalk is up to 30 mm long. The leaf blade is about 80 mm by 40 mm, triangular, long-pointed, with pointed backward extensions. The leaf margin is widely (and irregularly) toothed. There are five veins in the leaf from the base. The leaves are velvety grey beneath, and thinly pubescent above. Flowers are 10 mm long, cream-coloured with purplish anthers and white corollas; in loosely branched inflorescences. The flowers are heavily scented and produced from April through September. ''Mikania natalensis'' is superficially similar in appearance to '' Chromolaena odorata'', which is an alien invader species in the natural habitat of ''Mikania natalensis''. The butterfly ''

Actinote thalia ''Actinote thalia'' is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in the 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is found in most of South America. An attempt was made by the South African programme to defo ...

'' was considered for the biological control of ''Chromolaena odorata'' in southern Africa, but permission to release this control agent was not sought because the larvae were found to consume the leaves of ''Mikania natalensis''.Neuenschwander, P. et al. ''Biological control in IPM systems in Africa''. CABI Publishing.

Distribution and habitat

It is found on forest margins from the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

of South Africa to Tropical Africa.

Ecology

The flowers are visited by

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyly, monophyletic lineage within the ...

s, wasps and flies.

Human uses

''Mikania natalensis'' is used in traditional Zulu and Swazi medicine for urinary complaints, headaches, backache and colds.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6845706 natalensis Plants described in 1836 Plants used in traditional African medicine