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    Home»Herbs and Spices»Know about Coral Vine (Mexican Creeper)
    Herbs and Spices

    Know about Coral Vine (Mexican Creeper)

    By SylviaMarch 5, 2020Updated:March 5, 2020No Comments11 Mins Read
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    Coral Vine scientifically known as Antigonon leptopus is a flowering plant from the buckwheat family, polygonaceae. The plant is native to Mexico (Baja Sur, Chihuahua, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Sinaloa and Sonora), now common in warm tropical countries globally. Bride’s Tears, Chain-of-Love, Chinese Love Vine, Confederate Vine, Confederate-Vine, Coral Bells, Coral Creeper, Coral Vine, Coralita, Corallita, Coral Vine, Hearts on a Chain, Honolulu Creeper, Love Chain, Love-Vine, Mexican Coral Vine, Mexican Creeper, Mexican-Creeper, Mexican Love Vine, Mountain Rose, Mountain-Rose Coralvine, Mountain-Rose Coralvine, Pink Vine, Queen’s Jewels, Queen’s Wreath, San Miguelito Vine, Sandwich Island Creeper, coral rose vine, Mexican rose and mountain coral vine are some of the popular common names of the plant.

    The name of the genus is of uncertain origin, after some it should come from the Greek “anti” = against and “gόnia” = angle, with reference to the angular stems; the name of the species is the combination of the Greek terms “leptos” = thin and “pus, podόs” = foot, with reference to the thin stems. Not a lot of plants are completely edible but this is a unique feature the coral vine has. Since it is food to a lot of people it has traversed the world. In some regions it is cultivated in landscapes as an ornamental since it has showy flowers. The fruit and seeds are eaten and spread by a wide range of animals such as pigs, raccoons and birds. The tubers will re-sprout if the plant is cut back or damaged by frost.

    Coral Vine Facts

    Coral Vine Quick Facts
    Name: Coral Vine
    Scientific Name: Antigonon leptopus
    Origin Mexico (Baja Sur, Chihuahua, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Sinaloa and Sonora)
    Colors Brown
    Shapes Conical and 3-angled achene 8–12 mm long and 4–7 mm wide, shining
    Health benefits Beneficial for diabetes, low blood pressure, flu, menstrual pains, cough, sore throat, asthma, liver and spleen disorders and heart disease
    Name Coral Vine
    Scientific Name Antigonon leptopus
    Native Mexico (Baja Sur, Chihuahua, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Sinaloa and Sonora), now common in warm tropical countries globally
    Common Names Bride’s Tears, Chain-of-Love, Chinese Love Vine, Confederate Vine, Confederate-Vine, Coral Bells, Coral Creeper, Coral Vine, Coralita,

    Corallita, Coral Vine, Hearts on a Chain, Honolulu Creeper, Love Chain, Love-Vine, Mexican Coral Vine, Mexican Creeper, Mexican-Creeper, Mexican Love Vine, Mountain Rose, Mountain-Rose Coralvine, Mountain-Rose Coralvine, Pink Vine, Queen’s Jewels, Queen’s Wreath, San Miguelito Vine, Sandwich Island Creeper, coral rose vine, Mexican rose, mountain coral vine

    Name in Other Languages Afrikaans: Koraalranker
    Australia: Coral creeper
    Bahamas: coralline
    Bengali: Anantalata (অনংতলতা)
    Brazil: Amor agarradinho
    Chamorro: Cadena De Amor, Flores Kádena
    Dominican Republic: Bellacima, bellacina, Carolina, copalina, guirnalda, guirnalda Americana
    Dutch: Engletåre
    English: Confederate-vine, coral vine, Mexican coral vine, Mexican creeper, Chain-of-love, Mountain-rose coralvine, Queen’s jewels, Queen’s wreath, hearts on a chain, love-vine, mountain rose, cemetery vine, corallita, St James’ flower, St Michael’s flower, bee bush, San Miguelito vine, queen’s wreath, Bride’s Tears
    Finnish: Koralliköynnös
    French: Rosa-De-Montana, Antigone, liane antigone, liane corail, antigone à pied grêle, belle mexicaine, liane aurore
    German: Mexikanischer Rosenknöterich,
    Haiti: Belle mexicaine, pois-et-riz, Bèl meksikèn
    Hebrew: אנטיגון דק-עוקצים
    Hungarian: Korall-lián
    Indonesia: Bunga Air Mata Pengantin
    Jamaica: Coralila, Coralita
    Kannada: Āṇṭigonān (ಆಂಟಿಗೊನಾನ್)
    Lesser Antilles: Bee bush, cemetery vine, cercle barril, la belle mexicana, lyann barril, zeb semitye
    Malayalam: Tēnpūvaḷḷi (തേൻപൂവള്ളി)
    Malaysia: Honolulu Creeper, Bunga Bonet, Bunga Berteh
    Mexico: Kadena De Amor
    Micronesia, Federated states of: Love vine, rohsenpoak suwed
    Northern Marianas Islands: Flores Ka-dena
    Palauan: Dilngau
    Papiamento: Beyisima
    Philippines: Cadena-De-Amor, Cadena-De-Amor, Flores De Singapore
    Pohnpei: Rohsapoak, rohsenpoak suwed
    Portuguese: Amor Em Penca, Amor Entrelacado, Amor-Agarradinho, Coralia, Coralita, Entrada De Baile, Georgina, Mimo Do Ceu, Rosa De Sao Miguelito, Rosalia
    Puerto Rico: Bellosinia, coral, coralina
    Spanish: Bellísima, Corazon Bello, Corona, Coronilla, Kadena De Amor, Rosa De Montana, bellísima, cadena de amor, coral, coralilla, coralillo, coralillo rosado, coralita, pensamiento, bellosinia, cadena de amor, colación confite, coralito, corallita, Coralina
    Swedish: Rosensky
    Tamil: Kodi Rose, Koṭi rōjā (கொடி ரோஜா)
    Telegu: Picchibatani
    Thai: Puang Chom-Poo (พวงชมพู)
    Tongan: Ufi, Sēiniʻoeʻofa
    United States Virgin Islands: Love chain
    Vietnamese: Dây Ti Gôn; Hiếu Nữ; Hoa Tigôn, Nho Hoa, Ti gon
    Plant Growth Habit Fast-growing, climbing, somewhat woody, robust vine
    Growing Climates Pine rock lands, rock land hammocks, tropical hardwood hammocks, scrub, maritime forests, and swamps, waterways and riparian areas, monsoon vine thickets, rainforest margins, coastal sand dunes
    Soil Prefers near-neutral to alkaline soils with pH of 6.1–7.8, moderately fertile sandy or light soils with moderate moisture level
    Plant Size About 6-10 m tall, occasionally reaching up to 15 m in height
    Stem Branched, angular in cross-section, and either hairless (glabrous) or sparsely to densely covered in brownish or reddish hairs
    Leaf Cordate–ovate, hastate–ovate or triangular (2.5–9 cm) leaves. The leaves are borne on short often winged, glabrate petioles and have reticulate venation, cordate base, ciliate margins and acute to acuminate tips
    Inflorescence Inflorescence 4–20 cm long panicle with clusters of white or pink flowers along the rachis which has a tendrilate tip
    Flowering season April to May
    Flower Flower with ovate to elliptic tepals with entire margins and acute apex on 3–10 mm glabrous or pubescent pedicels
    Fruit Shape & Size Small brown fruit (achenes) are cone-shaped or three-angled and are 8-12 mm long and 4-7 mm wide having shiny appearance
    Fruit Color Brown
    Propagation Sexually by seeds, and also vegetatively by stems, plant fragments, tubers, and root suckers

    Plant description

    Coral Vine is a fast-growing, climbing, somewhat woody, robust vine that climbs using tendrils at the end of the inflorescence axes and attains height about 6-10 m tall, occasionally reaching up to 15 m in height. The plant is found growing in  disturbed areas, coastal cliffs, coastal forests, dry to moist lowland forests in warm tropical and subtropical regions, pine rock lands, rock land hammocks, tropical hardwood hammocks, scrub, maritime forests, and swamps, waterways and riparian areas, monsoon vine thickets, rainforest margins, coastal sand dunes, mangrove vegetation, roadsides, waste areas, old gardens and banks of watercourses. The plant prefers near-neutral to alkaline soils with pH of 6.1–7.8, moderately fertile sandy or light soils with moderate moisture level. It is drought tolerant; once established it needs occasional water.

    Stem

    Stems are puberulent, pentagonal, with many lateral branches. The slender stems climb up or sprawl over other vegetation by means of tendrils that are borne in the leaf forks (axils). They are branched, angular in cross-section, and either hairless (glabrous) or sparsely to densely covered in brownish or reddish hairs (pubescent). Older stems may sometimes become brown and woody towards the base of the plant, while younger stems are reddish-brown or green in color.

    Leaves

    The alternately arranged leaves are simple and borne on stalks (petioles) 1-5 cm long. These stalks are sometimes slightly winged and have a very small membranous structure (ochrea) 0.2-2 mm long at their base. The leaf blades are 2.5-15 cm long and 2-10 cm wide and are either egg-shaped in outline with broad end at base (ovate), heart-shaped (cordate) or somewhat triangular in shape. The lower ones are usually larger and broader, while the upper ones are smaller and narrower. These leaves may have either entire, wavy (undulate) or bluntly toothed (crenate) margins and the tips are usually pointed (acute to acuminate apices). They may be hairless (glabrous) or somewhat hairy (pubescent), especially along their veins on their undersides. The leaves are light to dark green in color, have a strongly wrinkled (rugose) appearance, and are lined with a network of veins (they are reticulately veined).

    Leaf arrangement Opposite/sub opposite
    Leaf type Simple
    Leaf margin Undulate
    Leaf shape Ovate
    Leaf venation Pinnate
    Leaf type and persistence Deciduous
    Leaf blade length 2.5-15 cm
    Leaf color Green
    Fall color No fall color change
    Fall characteristic Not showy

     

    Flowers

    Flowers are borne in unbranched, or more commonly branched, clusters at the tips of the branches (in terminal racemes or panicles). These flower clusters are 4-20 cm long and have hairy stalks (puberulent to pilose peduncles) and the flowers are arranged into small groups along the branches (with 1 to 4 flowers in each group). Tips of the flower clusters usually end in a short tendril. Individual flowers are borne on smaller stalks (pedicels) 3-10 mm long and each flower has five ‘petals’ (sepals or perianth segments) that are usually bright pink in color, but may occasionally be white or reddish. These petals are 4-10 mm long and 2-6 mm wide and have entire margins and pointed tips (acute apices). They also have eight stamens and an ovary topped with three styles and stigmas. Flowering may occur throughout the year, but is most prominent during autumn (i.e. from April to May).

    Flower color Bright pink, but may occasionally be white or reddish
    Flower characteristic Summer flowering; pleasant fragrance; fall flowering; spring flowering

     

    Fruit

    The small brown fruit (achenes) are cone-shaped or three-angled and are 8-12 mm long and 4-7 mm wide having shiny appearance. These fruit usually remain hidden within the enlarged and persistent remains of the petals that are 8-20 long and 4-15 mm wide, which turn dull pink and then eventually brown as they age.

    Fruit shape Cone-shaped
    Fruit length 8-12 mm
    Fruit cover Dry or hard
    Fruit color Unknown
    Fruit characteristic Inconspicuous and not showy

     

    Ethno-medicinal uses of Coral Vine

    Geographical area Uses
    Iloilo, Philippines Gastrointestinal disorders
    Amarkantak region, M.P., India Paste made from fresh leaves is applied externally in skin problems.
    Pratapgarh tehsil, Rajasthan, India Seeds are used as famine food; leaves are used to treat blisters
    Malayali tribals, Eastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India Seeds are used in diabetes.
    Fatehpur, UP, India Decoction of aerial parts used for prevention of cough and flu related pains.
    Trinidad and Tabago Diabetes
    Nigeria Antimicrobial
    Sonora, Mexico Leaves and roots used in stomachache
    Himalayan region, India Medicinal
    Irula tribes, Walayar valley, Southern Western Ghats, India Decoction made from roots orally to treat dermatological infections/diseases
    Burhanpur district, M.P., India Leaves are used in skin diseases.
    Bhil tribe of Alirajpur district, M.P., India Flower is used in pain and cold; leaf is used in blood pressure and as heart tonic.
    Eastern Nicaragua Root is used as food and medicine

     

    Coral Vine Image Gallery
    Closer-view-of-flower-of-Coral-Vine Closer-view-of-flower-of-Coral-Vine
    Coral-Vine-plant Coral-Vine-plant
    Flowering-buds-of-Coral-Vine Flowering-buds-of-Coral-Vine
    Flower-of-Coral-Vine Flower-of-Coral-Vine
    Immature-and-mature-fruit-enclosed-in-old-petals-of-Coral-Vine Immature-and-mature-fruit-enclosed-in-old-petals-of-Coral-Vine
    Leaves-of-Coral-Vine Leaves-of-Coral-Vine
    Mature-fruits-of-Coral-Vine Mature-fruits-of-Coral-Vine
    Plant-Illustration-of-Coral-Vine Plant-Illustration-of-Coral-Vine
    Seeds-of-Coral-Vine Seeds-of-Coral-Vine
    Sketch-of-Coral-Vine Sketch-of-Coral-Vine
    Small-seedling-of-Coral-Vine Small-seedling-of-Coral-Vine
    Woody-stems-and-coiled-tendrils-of-Coral-Vine Woody-stems-and-coiled-tendrils-of-Coral-Vine

    Traditional uses and benefits of Coral Vine

    • Leaves are used in Caribbean folk medicine as poultices for boils and swellings.
    • Coral Vine has been used in traditional medicine for diabetes and low blood pressure and as a heart tonic in Trinidad and Tobago.
    • Tea from the leaves is used for hypertension, diabetes, flu and menstrual pains.
    • Hot tea prepared from the aerial parts of Coral Vine is used traditionally for the prevention and treatment of cough, sore throat and flu-related pain in the West Indies.
    • It is used as a poultice and locally called ‘riang-riang’ inn Sumatra.
    • In the Philippines, an isolated report stated it is used by Ifugao migrants in the foothills of the Sierra Madre for wound closure.
    • Root extract has been used to treat asthma, liver and spleen disorders in Nigeria.
    • An extract of its leaves and flowers prevent lipid peroxidation.
    • Aerial portion of the flowers used in decoction as a cold remedy.
    • Decoction of aerial parts used as a remedy for colds and pain relief.
    • In Jamaica, decoction of aerial parts traditionally used for prevention of cough and flu-related pains.
    • In Sudan, leaves used for cough and throat constriction.

    Culinary Uses

    • Leaves and pink flowers are often eaten as cooked vegetables in Thailand.
    • In Thailand, the leaves and flowers are dipped in flour, fried and served with vermicelli.
    • The flowers are also mixed into omelets.
    • Herbal teas are made from the leaves and blossoms.
    • Small tubers are edible and are valued in its native area for the nut like flavor.
    • Tuberous roots are edible and are consumed by the local populations in famine periods.

    Other facts

    • Coral Vine is a very good ornamental plant with amenity value.
    • The flower inflorescence is used for floral arrangement.
    • Its flowers provide a very good source of nectar and pollen, extensively visited by honey bees also visited by a variety of solitary bee species, such as carpenter bees.
    • It also provides a light brown-colored honey which has a pleasant aroma and flavor.
    • Coral vine (Antigonon leptopus) is regarded as an environmental weed in the Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia and on Christmas Island.
    • Flower clusters are popular for use in flower and foliage arrangements for social functions.
    • Mexican Creeper is cultivated as an ornamental vine to climb up, on and over fences, walls, pagodas and arbors to cover them and to create a showy display of foliage and flowers.

    References:

    https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=20994#null

    http://www.hear.org/pier/species/antigonon_leptopus.htm

    http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a486

    https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ANLE4

    https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/112316

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigonon_leptopus

    https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/eafrinet/weeds/key/weeds/Media/Html/Antigonon_leptopus_(Coral_Creeper).htm

    https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp043

    https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/antigonon_leptopus.htm

    https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2050/#b

    http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-2642295

    https://www.monaconatureencyclopedia.com/antigonon-leptopus/?lang=en

    https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/266356

    https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/AIGLE

    http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Antigonon+leptopus

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    Coral Vine Scientific Classification

    Scientific Name: Antigonon leptopus

    Rank Scientific Name & (Common Name)
    Kingdom Plantae (Plants)
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
    Infrakingdom Streptophyta  (land plants)
    Super Division Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
    Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
    Sub Division Spermatophytina  (spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames)
    Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
    Sub Class Caryophyllidae
    Super Order Caryophyllanae
    Order Polygonales
    Family Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
    Genus Antigonon Endl. (Antigonon)
    Species Antigonon leptopus Hook. & Arn. (coral vine)
    Synonyms
    • Antigonon amabie K.Koch
    • Antigonon cinerascens Mart. & Gal.
    • Antigonon cordatum Mart. & Gal.
    • Antigonon platypus Hook. & Arn.
    • Corculum leptopus (Hook. & Arn.) Stuntz
    • Polygonum cirrhosum Moc. & Sesse
    • Polygonum cirrhosum Moc. & Sesse ex Meisn.
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