Herbaceous vine, much branched from the base, climbs by means of tendrils and attains 1.5-2 m in length. Stems with 5 longitudinal ribs, glabrous or puberulent;cross section with a single vascular cylinder. Leaves alternate, biternate;leaflets chartaceous, puberulent or sparsely pubescent, the apex obtuse, acute, or acuminate, the base attenuate, the margins lobate or laciniate;terminal leaflet lanceolate or triangular, rhombic or narrowly lanceolate in outline, 2-3.5(5) cm long;lateral leaflets ovate, lanceolate, or oblong in outline, 1-2.5 cm long;rachis and petiole not winged;petioles 2-3 cm long;stipules lanceolate, approximately 5 mm long;tendrils in pairs, spirally twisted, at the end of short axillary axes (aborted inflorescences), from which an inflorescence usually develops. Flowers functionally unisexual, zygomorphic, in axillary racemiform thyrses, shorter than the accompanying leaf. Calyx light green, of 4 unequal sepals, the outer ones approximately 1.2 mm long, the inner ones 3-3.5 mm long. Petals white, obovate, 2.5-3.5 mm long;petaliferous appendages slightly shorter than the petals, fleshy and yellow at the apex, forming a hood that encloses the apex of the glands of the disc;disc unilateral, with 4 rounded or ovoid glands, approximately 0.4 mm long;stamens 8, the filaments unequal, pubescent;ovary trilocular, with one style and 3 stigmas. Capsules brown, pearlike, turbinate-obtriangular or sometimes nearly ellipsoid, 1.5-3 × 2-4 cm, pubescent. Seeds black, shiny, approximately 5 mm in diameter;hilum green when fresh, white when dry, cordate (Acevedo-Rodríguez, 2005;Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2015).
Related invasive species
- Cardiospermum halicacabum
Related Farm Practice
- Plantations
- Flora
- Light
- Hosts
C. halicacabum is a long-lived scrambling, creeping, or climbing vine that is a weed of gardens, roadsides, disturbed sites and plantations. It has also the ability to climb and cover mature trees up to 8 m or more in height (Weeds of Australia, 2015). This species is often cultivated as an ornamental in gardens of tropical and subtropical regions of the world for its inflated balloon shaped fruits (Acevedo-Rodríguez, 2005;PIER, 2015;PROTA, 2015;Weeds of Australia, 2015). It has escaped from cultivation, and once naturalized it grows over native vegetation smothering trees, shrubs and understory vegetation. It is very successful invading forest margins, woodland, grassland, riverbanks, floodplains and rocky sites. Dense infestations can also impede access, increase the risk and intensity of fires and harbour pests and diseases (Invasive Species South Africa, 2015). Currently, C. halicacabum is regarded as a weed and invasive species in Australia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Singapore, the USA, and Cuba (Foxcroft et al., 2003;Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012;BioNet-EAfrinet, 2015;PIER, 2015;USDA-NRCS, 2015;Weeds of Australia, 2015).
C. halicacabum is a weed with substantial economic impacts on sugarcane and soyabean plantations (Gildenhuys et al., 2013).