Rubber vine is a highly alluring flower
Rubber vine, commonly known as rubbervine, is a woody perennial climbing vine native to southwestern Madagascar. It is also a prominent weed in northern Australia, and it has been introduced to most other tropical and subtropical regions because of its alluring flowers and fruit; its latex contains commercial-quality rubber, hence its name.
Rubber vine
Geographic distribution:
It is now found in the Caribbean, India, Mauritius, East Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, the southern United States, Fiji and New Caledonia.
Growth habit:
Seeds germinate after the first rain of the rainy season, but growth is not rapid until after the rainy season begins. However, if sufficient water is available, rubber vine can grow up to 5 m in 1 month. Flowering usually occurs after the rainy season ends, with fruit set following. Mature and immature fruit can usually be found on rubber vine at any time.
Rubber vine
Rubber vine seeds are dispersed by strong wind and floods. This is especially important in Australia where flooding occurs in very large rivers.
Rubber vine can grow up to 2 m tall as a shrub, but when it grows as a vine supported by other vegetation, it can reach 30 m long. Rubber vine prefers areas with annual rainfall of 400 to 1400 mm and is well adapted to monsoon climates. It can grow maximally with annual rainfall of 1700 mm, but seeds best with annual rainfall of 400 mm or less.
Rubber vine