''Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides'' (syn. ''Senecio confusus''), the Mexican flamevine, is a plant species in the family Asteraceae, native to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

and the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

Description

''Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides'' is a twining,

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

vine with smooth stems and alternate arrowhead-shaped evergreen leaves sometimes reaching a height of ). It has orange to red ray flowers and orange disc flowers, and ribbed fruits with persistent bristles that profusely appear from spring to fall. The plant will sporadically bloom all year-round in mild winter climates.

Cultivation

The Mexican flamevine is prized as an ornamental because of its showy flowers. It is widely grown in gardens in parts of the United States. It requires full sun, well-drained soil, and either a trellis or a shrub to climb on. In colder areas, frost will kill the shoots, but the roots can survive the winter in most of the contiguous United States. It can be grown as an

annual plant An annual plant is a plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one growing season, and then dies. The length of growing seasons and period in which they take place vary according to geographical ...

in a cold climate due to its rapid growth rate. If not grown as a vine, it will grow in a sprawling shrub-like form. It is cultivated in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

and has been reported as persisting after cultivation there, growing on disturbed sites.Flora_of_North_America
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Taxonomy

The plant's former scientific name ''Senecio confusus'' translates to "confused old man", which refers to the pappus bristles on the

achenes An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not op ...

and the vine's rampant habit of growth, respectively. Without support, a "confusion" of stems change the plant into a straggly shrub.Senecio confusus - a Fiesta of Mexican Flowers for beginners and butterflies...
Top Tropicals

Gallery

Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides, a Flame Vine (9471242268).jpg, alt=Spent flowers Senecio confusus 2015-07-15 4322.jpg, alt=Back of flower Starr-990106-3112-Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides-habit-Hana-Maui (24416937592).jpg, alt=Shrub Senecio confusus 2016-05-09 9799.jpg, alt=Potted plants Senecio confusus 2016-07-19 2737.jpg, alt=Leaf detail Senecio confusus 2016-05-09 9797.jpg, alt=Emerging leaf Orange Glow Vine (433796743).jpg, alt=Budding flowers Monarch Butterfly on Mexican Flame Vine (41776697660).jpg,

Monarch butterfly The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. It ...

pollination

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15551114 Flora of Florida Flora of Mexico Flora of Central America Flora of the Caribbean Taxa named by Ángel Lulio Cabrera chenopodioides