Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides (syn. Senecio confusus), known commonly as the Mexican flamevine,[3] is a climber in the family Asteraceae, native to Mexico, Central America and the West Indies.
Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides is a fast-growing,[4] twining, herbaceous vine with smooth stems and alternate arrowhead-shaped evergreen leaves sometimes reaching a height of 5 metres (16 ft).
It features orange ray flowers (which age to a bright red), orange disc flowers, and ribbed fruits with persistent bristles that profusely appear from spring to fall.[5][6] The plant will sporadically bloom all year-round in mild winter climates.[7]
Cultivation
Potted houseplant
The Mexican flamevine is prized as an ornamental because of its showy flowers. It is widely grown in gardens in parts of the United States. It requires full sun, well-drained soil, and either a trellis or a shrub to climb on.[8]
In colder areas, frost will kill the shoots, but the roots can survive the winter in most of the contiguous United States.[9][10] It can be grown as an annual plant in a cold climate due to its rapid growth rate. If not grown as a vine, it will grow in a sprawling shrub-like form.[11]
It is cultivated in Florida and has been reported as persisting after cultivation there, growing on disturbed sites.[5] It is also sold under the name 'São Paulo', which is a cultivar with scarlet flowers.[12]
P. chenopodioides is a nonhost of Digitivalva delaireae and this moth is an ineffective biocontrol of invasive Flame Vine[13] Nonetheless, the plant is rarely bothered by any pests, therefore making it good for beginners.[14]
Taxonomy
The plant's former scientific name Senecio confusus translates to "confused old man", which refers to the pappus bristles on the achenes and the vine's rampant habit of growth, respectively. Without support, a "confusion" of stems change the plant into a straggly shrub.[14] Its current taxonomic name Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides refer to its "pseudo" resemblance to some of the species within the gynoxys and chenopodioideae genus.
^USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
Olckers, T.; Coetzee, J.; Egli, D.; Martin, G.; Paterson, I.; Sutton, G.; Wood, A. (2021). "Biological Control of South African Plants that are Invasive Elsewhere in the World: A Review of Earlier and Current Programmes". African Entomology. Entomological Society of Southern Africa. 29 (3). doi:10.4001/003.029.1005. ISSN1021-3589. S2CID245628846.
This review cites this research.
Mehelis, Christopher; Balciunas, Joe; Reddy, Aangelica; Westhuizen, Liame; Neser, Stefan; Moran, Patrick (2015). "Biology and Host Range of Digitivalva delaireae (Lepidoptera: Glyphipterigidae), a Candidate Agent for Biological Control of Cape-ivy (Delairea odorata) in California and Oregon". Environmental Entomology. Oxford University Press. 44 (2): 260–276. doi:10.1093/ee/nvu030. ISSN0046-225X. PMID26313. S2CID419847.
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