SafePlants

Cryptostegia grandiflora: A Detailed Look

Cryptostegia grandiflora, commonly known as rubber vine, is a plant with interesting characteristics and a complex ecological role. Here's a comprehensive overview:

Considerations for Pets

• This plant contains a milky latex.
• It is a vigorous twining vine.

Considerations for Children

• This plant contains a milky latex.

Nomenclature and Taxonomy

• Scientific Name: Cryptostegia grandiflora R.Br.
• Family: Apocynaceae (formerly Asclepiadaceae)
• Synonyms: Nerium grandiflorum
• Common Names: Rubber vine, Palay rubber vine, India rubber vine, Purple Allamanda, Palay Rubber, Canario Morado, African rubber vine, Pichuco, Bejuco. Other names include caucho de la India (Spanish-Galapagos), liane de gatope (French- New Caledonia).

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to south-west Madagascar.
• Widely cultivated in the tropics.

Ecological Role

• Considered a significant weed and a declared pest in Western Australia (WA) and South Australia.
• It is a Class 2 pest plant in some regions.
• The plant is very aggressive.

Morphological Characteristics

• Woody-perennial vine.
• Can grow as a robust woody vine or shrub with greyish-brown stems covered with small warty spots.
• Leaves are simple, oblong, and leathery. The leaves are described as "rubbery to the touch."
• Flowers are large and showy, bell-shaped or trumpet-shaped, often described as lavender.
• Can grow up to 2 meters tall as a shrub or up to 30 meters in length as a vine when supported.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Insects have been studied for their potential role in controlling rubber vine, particularly in Haiti.

Further Information

• Bugwood.org: A source for images and information (referenced as "Dan Clark, USDI National Park Service, bugwood.org").