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Useful Tropical Plants

Cryptostegia madagascariensis

Bojer ex Decne.

Apocynaceae


Closely related to, and sometimes confused with, Cryptostegia grandiflora[
457
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 62
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1975
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains the Asclepiadaceae section of the Flora of Panama.
].

+ Synonyms

Cryptostegia glaberrima Hochr.

Common Name: Madagascar Rubbervine

Cryptostegia madagascariensis
Seed capsule open, showing the light seeds and their floss
Photograph by: Tatters ?
Creative Commons License
Cryptostegia madagascariensis Cryptostegia madagascariensis Cryptostegia madagascariensis Cryptostegia madagascariensis

General Information

Cryptostegia madagascariensis is an evergreen, climbing shrub, scrambling over the ground and climbing into nearby plants, supporting itself by means of its slender, twining stems; it can grow around 6 - 8 metres tall[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a source of rubber and fibre. It is widely grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its large, showy flowers[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].

Known Hazards

Cryptostegia madagascariensis contains glucosides and is a poisonous species. It has been used in committing suicide for religious purposes[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].
The copious latex is reported to cause varying degrees of skin irritation[
457
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 62
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1975
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains the Asclepiadaceae section of the Flora of Panama.
].

Botanical References

457
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 62
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1975
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains the Asclepiadaceae section of the Flora of Panama.

Range

Africa - northwest Madagascar.

Habitat

Deciduous thickets; at elevations below 600 metres[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Edibility Rating *
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Climber
Height5.00 m
PollinatorsBees, Insects
Self-fertileYes
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Cryptostegia madagascariensis is natve to northwestern Madagascar and can flourish in areas where the mean annual rainfall can range from 400 - 2,400mm[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
]. It is also able to extend its range into drier areas with 400mm or less of annual rainfall. Plants cannot tolerate frost[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
]
The plant is tolerant of a wide variety of soil types[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
]. Tolerant of saline soils[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].
Cryptostegia madagascariensis is a fast-growing invasive woody vine. Originally native to north-western Madagascar, 0t has become widely distributed in India, Kenya, Brazil, Hawaii, Australia and the West Indies. Plants can begin to reproduce after about 200 days and they can produce large amount of seeds which are rapidly dispersed by wind, floodwaters, or stuck to the fur of animals. Seeds can remain viable up to one year and studies have reported germination rates ranging from 90 to 95%. The plant has the ability to quickly spread along water courses, coastal forests, pastures, forest edges, and disturbed areas. It can form dense impenetrable thickets by climbing up trees and covering them, and may also displace and out-compete native vegetation[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].
A long-lived species, living for several decades[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].

Edible Uses

The bark is used for making rum[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A latex obtained from the plant contains 7 - 10% rubber[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. It is of slight commercial value[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. The yield of rubber is small, and the product is of inferior quality, being usually soft and deficient in elasticity[
458
Title
Rubber. Its Sources, Cultivation and Preparation.
Publication
 
Author
Brown H.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
John Murray; London.
Year
1914
ISBN
 
Description
Written in the days before synthetic rubbers and the loss of interest in finding new rubber sources. A good amount of information on latex-producing plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. The plants of this genus abound in a milky juice, which, when exposed for a short time to the sun, is converted into pure caoutchouc[
454
Title
Useful Fiber Plants of the World
Publication
 
Author
Dodge C.R.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
USDA; Washington.
Year
1897
ISBN
 
Description
A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

A fibre obtained from the plant is used for making nets, ropes etc[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].

Propagation

Seed - germination requires high humidity and temperatures around 30°c. Viability is more than 90% in fresh seeds, but viability only lasts for a year or less at room temperature[
1093
Title
Invasive Species Compendium
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.cabi.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-12. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cryptostegia+madagascariensis>

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