Moth Plant

Araujia sericifera

Alternative Name(s): Araujia hortorum, Moth vine

Family: Asclepiadaceae.

Form: Vine

Origin: Native to southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Flowers/Seedhead: Flowers: White to pale pink in groups of 2–5 in axils of leaves. Flower perfumed, tubular, 0.8–1.4 cm long, 5-lobed, stamens 5. Flowers late spring to autumn.

Description: Perennial climber with twining stems, climbing to 6 m on supporting vegetation. Leaves oblong to triangular, 3–11 cm long, 1–6 cm wide, base of midrib on upper surface with finger-like small glands; base at right-angles to leaf stalk that is 0.5–4 cm long. Fruit a blue-green pod initially, turning brown and woody with age, splitting to release seeds. Seeds black, numerous, about 4 mm long and ending in a tuft of white silky hairs about 2.5 cm long.

Distinguishing features: Distinguished by twining habit; milky latex exuded from damaged stems and leaves; leaves opposite, upper surface green with scattered hairs, lower surface blue-green with very short dense covering of hairs and pearshaped fruit 6–12 cm long and 3–7 cm wide.

Dispersal: Spread by wind-blown seeds.