Description

This vibrant plant by the name of  Senecio angulatus, also known as the “canary creeper”, “creeping groundsel”[5], and “Cape ivy”[6][7] is a succulent flowering plant in the daisy family that is native to South Africa.

Cape ivy is a scrambling and climbing plant that brings vitality to a green space through its satiny foliage and sweet-scented flowers.

In the Mediterranean Basin (and in fact around the world), it is grown as an ornamental plant.[10]

Common names of Senecio angulatus

English: Creeping groundsel,[5] garden senecio, mile-a-minute, scrambling groundsel, climbing groundsel
French: Séneçon anguleux (senecio angular)
Italian: senecio rampicante (creeping senecio)
Spanish: la hiedra del Cabo, senecio hiedra (cape ivy, senecio ivy)
Xhosa: inDindilili[6]
Arabic: الشيخة القريض, الشيخة الزحف القريض, دعسة القطة, سلك التلفون‎ (telephone cord, cat’s footprint, climbing groundsel)
Hebrew: סביון מזוות‎ (climbing groundsel)

Leaves and stems of Senecio angulatus

Its form is a dense tangled shrub 2 metres (6.6 ft) tall[13] or a climber that can reach 6 metres (20 ft) high, if suitable support is available.[8] The leaves are rhombic to ovate, 3 centimetres (1.2 in) to 5 centimetres (2.0 in) long and 1 centimetre (0.39 in) to 5 centimetres (2.0 in) wide and occur in 1-4 pairs. They are thick, glossy, fleshy and coarsely toothed, with one to three teeth each side[3] and bluntly lobed,[13] with upper leaves becoming smaller with fewer teeth or none at all.[3] They have a frosted look from a powdery coating on the lower side.

Leaf stalks are 1 centimetre (0.39 in) to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long.[11]

The stems are succulent, pale green, and are often variegated with pale yellow green and purple. They are slightly angular (not upright) and usually sparingly branched.[3] Neither stems nor leaves are hairy.[3][11]

Cape ivy can be distinguished vegetatively from Delairea odorata (German ivy) by the lack of lobes at the leaf stalk base, the fleshy leaf surface, the outwardly curved leaf teeth and the ray florets with petal-like ligules.[3][11] In Australia, Senecio tamoides (Canary creeper) may usually be misapplied and is considered to be Senecio angulatus.[12]

Flowers (inflorescence) of Senecio angulatus

Senecio angulatus produces numerous flowers in open clusters at the end of its branches or stems.[3] The honey-scented flowers are on an elongated stem and open in succession from the base up as the stem continues to grow. The flower clusters are more flat at the top than pyramid-like, and are 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 8 centimetres (3.1 in) in diameter.[11] Often the cluster droops with the flower heads at the end of the cluster turning upwards.

Flower stalks are mostly hairless or with some short hairs, 6.5 millimetres (0.26 in) to 10.5 millimetres (0.41 in) long. Attached to flower stalks are 8-11 fine pointed bracts 5 millimetres (0.20 in) to 6 millimetres (0.24 in)[3] which are surrounded by 4-7 pale green and sometimes purple tinged supplementary bracts at the base, 1.5 millimetres to 2.5 millimetres which make a cup shape around the base of the involucre.

Individual flower-heads are radiate and urn-shaped.[11] The corolla has a disc[3] comprising 10-15 dull golden yellow disc florets.[11] Each disc floret is a hairless tube with a slight expansion below the middle and lobes 1.3 millimetres to 2 millimetres wide. 4- 6 ray florets surround the disc florets and have yellow[3]ligules (that look like petals) 5.5 millimetres (0.22 in) to 9.5 millimetres (0.37 in) long that make the flowers look daisy-like.[13]

An autumn-winter bloomer, the plant flowers from April to May in Southern Africa[8] and May to July in Australia and New Zealand.[11] In the northern hemisphere, particularly in Italy and Spain, it flowers from November to the end of January.[14][15]

Fruits and reproduction of of Senecio angulatus

Cape ivy is easily dispersed by wind-blown seed, stem fragments, and dumped garden waste.[13] Achenes are 3 millimetres to 4 millimetres long,[3] ribbed or grooved with short hairs in the grooves[3] and a tapering cylindrical shape.[3][11] The parachute-like hairs, the pappus, are 5 millimetres to 7 millimetres long.[3][11]

History of Senecio angulatus

Cape ivy is cultivated in parts of North Africa, Southern Europe[16] and the Levant, where it was introduced in Malta in the 15th century as an ornamental plant.[17] In Queensland, cape ivy may have increased in popularity following the Boer War, as there were anecdotal accounts that it was introduced from South Africa by the soldiers who returned to Australia after 1902. Moreover, it was displayed in garden pillars in Brisbane newspapers between 1906 and 1910, praising the plant for the beauty of both its foliage and its yellow clusters of blooms. Though these reports may have falsely applied the S. angulatus name to Senecio tamoides, which was a weed at that time on the east coast.[18]

The plant was collected as a weed in Melbourne’s southern suburb of Mornington in 1936, and was displayed in newspaper column submissions in areas between Bendigo and Swan Hill in the 1940s and 1950s. In Melbourne metropolitan area, it became prevalent on coastal banks and on decomposed rock gullies of suburban creeks.[18] It was introduced in New Zealand in 1940 as an ornamental.[9]

Propagation and growing Senecio angulatus

In its native habitat Cape ivy prefers soils of black calcareous and grey sand, sandy clay and limestone. It finds homes with these soils in coastal areas on cliff faces, mudflats, wet depressions in dunes, near swamps,[8] in landfills, scrubland and near settlements,[11] especially near the sea.[3]

However, this plant is nut fussy and will easily grown in a good mix of any topsoil and compost.

Cape ivy grows in USDA hardiness zones 9a through 11b and is medium to fast-growing. Very drought tolerant, it would flourish better with some water in the summer and would bloom more often in full sun. It can grow indoors as a houseplant, provided it gets some sunlight. Pruning is necessary as the plant can become limp when it gets taller.[19]

Propagation can be done by cuttings (as the plant easily roots from the branch tips), and this is to be conducted between spring and fall.[20][21] Seeds prefer consistent moisture and warm temperatures to germinate. Annual fertilisation is necessary, though not mandatory. Pests include aphids.

Medicinal properties of Senecio angulatus

Phytochemical profiling showed antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities in extracts from Algerian Senecio angulatus. The hydro-methanolic and the acetate extracts have exhibited antioxidant potential of acetate for FRAP and phenanthroline methods. Furthermore, a high amount of cynarin and trans-ferulic acid was found in the extract whereas butanolic infusion had recorded the highest amount of chlorogenic acid. Though phenolic compounds tend to have hydroxyl in their composition, contributing to the antioxidant activity.[22]

Distribution of Senecio angulatus

It is native to the Cape Province in South Africa, hence its name.

Cape ivy has been naturalized in parts of South Italy, France, Portugal and some coastal areas in southeastern Australia.[11]

Places it grows:

East Tropical Africa: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania
Southern Africa: South Africa
Northern Africa: Tunisia, Libya[17] and Algeria[23]

Australia: Western Australia (Esperance Plains, Warren, Swan Coastal Plain),[8] New South Wales (South Coast and Mid North Coast), southern Victoria and Tasmania.
New Zealand: New Zealand North, New Zealand South (Nelson City, Wairau Bar (Marlborough), Banks Peninsula)

Macaronesia: Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Hierro, Tenerife), Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Formentera, Mallorca, Menorca)

Southwestern Europe: Corsica, Channel Islands, Spain, France & Monaco, Portugal
Southeastern Europe: Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Albania, Croatia and surrounding islands[17]

Sources: GRIN,[2] FBAF,[8] NSWF,[11] NZPND,[3] BGB

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References

1.  “Senecio angulatus“. International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
2. “Senecio angulatus“. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2008-03-31.
3. Landcare Research. “Senecio angulatus L.f. Suppl. 369 (1781)”. Flora of New Zealand: Taxa. Landcare Research Allan Herbarium and New Zealand Plant Names Database. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
4. The Plant List. “Cineraria laevis A.Spreng”. TICA. The Plant List. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
5. Muyt, Adam (2001). Bush invaders of south-east Australia: a guide to the identification and control of environmental weeds in south-east Australia. R.G. and F.J. Richardson. pp. 304 pages. ISBN 0-9587439-7-5. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
6. Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). “Page 2456”. CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology. CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-2673-7. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
7. Cape ivy (mile a minute, climbing groundsel) (Senecio angulatus) State of Victoria (Agriculture Victoria) 1996-2021
8. Western Australian Herbarium (2007-09-11). “Senecio angulatus L.f.” FloraBase. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
9. “Senecio angulatus”. New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
10. Senecio angulatus, il rampicante fiorito a novembre by cosedicasa.com
11. National Herbarium of New South Wales. “Senecio angulatus L.” New South Wales FloraOnline. Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
12. Weeds of Australia (Biosecurity Queensland Edition). “Senecio angulatus L. f.” Queensland Government. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
13. Tom Forney, Steve Hurst (2007). “Kudzu Pueraria lobata“ (PDF). Government of Oregon. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
14. Senecio angulatus – Senecio rampicante by Laura Bennet from CASA E GIARDINO
15. Senecio angulatus, il rampicante fiorito a novembre by Giovanna Rio from Cose di Casa
16. Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem. “Details for: Senecio angulatus“. Euro+Med PlantBase. Freie Universität Berlin. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
17. Senecio angulatus (Creeping Groundsel) MaltaWildPlants.com by Stephen Mifsud
18. Climbing Groundsel (Senecio angulatus) by Weeds of Melbourne, July 10, 2019
19. Climbing Groundsel (Senecio angulatus) by Weeds of Melbourne, July 10, 2019
20. Senecio angulatus (Climbing Groundsel) by World of Succulents, August 30, 2013
21. Creeping or climbing groundsel (Senecio angulatus) by Eurobodalla Shire Council
22. LC-ESI/MS-phytochemical profiling with antioxidant and antiacetylcholinesterase activities of Algerian Senecio angulatus L.f. extracts Ahlem Bousetla, Hatice Banu Keskinkaya, Chawki Bensouici, Mostefa Lefahal, Mehmet Nuri Atalar, Salah Akkal. National Library of Medicine. 21 July 2021.
23. Apparition de Senecio angulatus (Asteraceae) en Algérie by M. D. Miara, L. Boutabia, S. Telaïlia & E. Vela, 3 September 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2020

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This article uses material from the Wikipedia article “Senecio angulatus”, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.