Taxonomic Classification of Cadena de amor (Antigonon amabie K.

Koch)

Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Spermatophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Dicotyledonae
Order: Polygonales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Antigonon
Species: Antigonon leptopus
Identification:
Perennial, fast-growing, woody vine that climbs using tendrils at the end of the
inflorescence axes and attains 5-13 m in length. Stems are puberulent, pentagonal, with many
lateral branches. Leaves are alternate, ovate, triangular-ovate, or almost lanceolate, chartaceous,
5-14.5 × 2-7 cm, the apex is acute or acuminate, the base is cordiform or truncate, and the margins
are crenulate, sometimes ciliate. The upper surface of leaves is light green slightly shiny,
puberulent, with the venation sunken; lower surface pale green, dull, puberulent or glabrous, with
prominent venation; petioles are 1-5 cm long, reddish, puberulent, cylindrical or subwinged.
Flowers are bisexual, in axillary racemes or terminal panicles, 10-20 cm long, terminating in a pair
of spiral tendrils; pedicels 3-4(-10) mm long. The perianth is about 4-7 mm long, of 5 ovate or
elliptical tepals, intense pink or white; staminal column 2-3 mm long, of the same colour as the
tepals. The fruit is a 3-angle-achene, 5-8 mm long.
A. leptopus is a perennial vine, cultivated as an ornamental for its showy flowers, but which
when neglected can grow quickly over other vegetation, spreading beyond its area of introduction.
As an invasive vine, it is included in the Global Compendium of Weeds (Randall, 2012) and
classified as one of the most aggressive weeds occurring in tropical and insular ecosystems
This species has the capability to reproduce sexually by seeds and vegetatively by stems
and underground tubers. This dual reproductive behaviour aids its survival as a successful weed.
A. leptopus has the potential to modify and collapse native plant communities by displacing native
species, changing community structures and altering ecological functions. Wherever A. leptopus
invades, it completely smothers native trees, out-competes understory plants, and alters fire
regimes (i.e., leaves dry and fall during the dry season providing fuel for wildfires). Currently, A.
leptopus is classified as a “weed” in the United States, as a pest in Australia (Queensland
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 2011), and as an invasive species in South Africa,
Kenya, Cuba, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Lesser Antilles, and numerous islands in the Pacific
including Hawaii, Guam, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Guinea, and Solomon Islands among others.
 Taxonomic Classification of Avocado (Persea Americana)

Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Magnollidae
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Persea
Species: P. Americana
Identification:
The avocado is a dense polymorphic broad-leaved aromatic evergreen tree species of the
genus Persea classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Magnoliales of
the flowering plant family Lauraceae (Myrtle). Camphor (C. camphora), cinnamon (Cinnamomum
zeylanicum), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), European bay (Laurus nobilis), and California bay or
Oregon myrtle (Umbellularia californica) and laurels are related species.
It is fast growing plant and reaching a height of 20 m with age whilst grafted trees are
usually 8-10 m tall, although usually less, and generally have a low branched trunk and an
irregular. Some cultivars are columnar, others selected for nearly prostrate form. It makes a good
espalier plant for certain cultivar.
Vegetative growth is cyclical with pronounced growth flushes. The avocado sheds many
leaves in early spring. There may be one to six shoot flushes per year (Thorp, 1992). Growth is in
frequent flushes during warm weather in warmer regions with only one long flush per year in
cooler areas. Axillary branching may be proleptic, that is, a shoot develops only after a period of
dormancy as a resting bud or sylleptic, where shoot growth occurs simultaneously with the parent
axis with no dormant phase (Hall et al., 1978). In avocados, it is quite easy to discern between
these two types of axillary branching.
The trees are shallow rooted and have poor water uptake and hydraulic conductance. Roots
are coarse and greedy and will raise pavement with age. Injury to branches causes a secretion of
dulcitol, a white, powdery sugar, at scars.