Age and size of flowering Mikania micrantha plants raised in a controlled environment

Abstract

Mikania micrantha is a rampant vine and target of a national cost-shared weed eradication program on mainland, Australia. A series of trials were conducted in a quarantine glasshouse to inform the surveillance activities of this serious weed. The trials aimed to determine the time taken for M. micrantha to grow from seed or fresh cuttings to flowering in a glasshouse. They also investigated seasonal patterns of flowering behaviour and documented plant sizes at first flowering. Distinct seasonality is reflected in the trial results and field records of mature plants from control teams. Mikania micrantha grows within and on the margins of tropical forests. The minimum size of plants when they first flowered is considered in relation to detecting vines in this complex tropical environment.