To my mind, there’s three kinds of people who read “The Scoop”. There’s those who would have read the title of this month’s Plant of the Month and immediately thought of the late, great Marvin Gaye, there’s those who would have thought of the original version by Creedence Clearwater Revival and there’s those who never got the reference at all. (For the last group, click here to watch a video of the song.)
Following on from last month’s rainforest vines, we have a few more for you, last month’s was very much Dry Vine Thicket plants, this month we’re getting into the thicker, lusher stuff, and that scream you just heard is me finding out there’s been a name change.
Apocissus antarctica (Kangaroo Grape, formerly Cissus antarctica), long-term readers will remember from our “What’s in a Name” series that “antarctica” means “southern” not that the vine is found in Antarctica. A very common, vigorous vine with a tendency to absolutely dominate an area when conditions are right which can lead to it smothering the plants it climbs over. They have serrated leaves, paired tendrils and rusty furry new growth.
A member of the grape family which does produce edible fruit, though can cause a bit of throat irritation, according to Cribb & Cribb (Wild Food in Australia. 1975) they’re better stewed up with some sugar. PlantNET – FloraOnline – Apocissus antarctica
Apocissus hypoglauca (Five-Leaf Water Vine, formerly Cissus hypoglauca), again a member of the grape family, easily distinguished from the A. antarctica by the leaves and slightly better eating. Not quite as vigorous as the Kangaroo Grape but it will still grow over almost everything if given a chance. PlantNET – FloraOnline – Apocissus hypoglauca
Tetrastigma nitens (Three-Leaf Watervine). Another one from the grape family, easily distinguished from the Five- Leaf Watervine by having (usually) three leaflets with regularly toothed margins, less common than its close cousins, though still fairly easy to find in the right community. PlantNET – FloraOnline – Tetrastigma nitens
Parsonsia straminea (Silkpod, Monkey Rope). While this is a rainforest vine, it is often found in Eucalypt forest as well. The name Silkpod comes from the silky attachments to the seeds which help dispersal when the ripe pod opens. PlantNET – FloraOnline – Parsonsia straminea
