OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Lamiids: Gentianales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Matelea carolinensis   FAMILY Apocynaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Matelea carolinensis   FAMILY Asclepiadaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 157-03-005:

Matelea carolinensis   FAMILY Asclepiadaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)

Gonolobus carolinensis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Odontostephana carolinensis

 

COMMON NAME:
Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_vica9_001_lvd

        

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

Alan S. Weakley    asw_952059262810737

May    Granville County    NC

Corolla lobes in a horizontal plane or reflexed, per Weakley's Flora (2023).

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

JK Marlow    jkm210516_0392

May    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

Corolla not reticulate with darker veins, per Weakley's Flora (2012).

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

JK Marlow    jkm220517_7922

May    Greenville County    SC

Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve

Stems hairy, leaking milky sap when broken, per Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019).

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

JK Marlow    jkm220517_7923

May    Greenville County    SC

Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmmcarolinensis_761

May        

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmmcarolinensis_762c

May        

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmmcarolinensis_glass2

May    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

Corolla dark maroon (rarely maroon-yellow or yellow), per Weakley's Flora (2012).

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_m_carolinensis_3

May        

Paired corona appendages always higher than the alternating corona lobes, per Weakley's Flora (2012).

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

JK Marlow    jkm0506m_10

June    Union County    SC

Sumter National Forest: Tyger Ranger District

Leaves ovate, with acuminate apices & cordate or sagittate bases, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

JK Marlow    jkm080608_027b

June    Greenville County    SC

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

JK Marlow    jkm190604_8867

June    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

JK Marlow    jkm190604_8980

June    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

Fresh Matelea leaves do not have a strong odor when crushed; Gonolobus's do, per Weakley's Flora (2018).

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

JK Marlow    jkm230606_3835

June    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

Calyx lobes pubescent, 2-3mm long. Buds short-ovoid, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

Wesley Burnett    gwb919_1508

June?    Oconee County    SC

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

Wesley Burnett    gwb919_1510

June?    Oconee County    SC

Corolla lobes are ovate-rounded & 2-2.5x as long as wide, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE Anglepod and Spinypod (Climbing Milkweed)

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_matelea_carolinensisa

July        

Corolla lobes in a horizontal plane or slightly reflexed, per Weakley's Flora (2012).

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

JK Marlow    jkm080914_042

September    Greenville County    SC

Field

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

JK Marlow    jkm080914_053

September    Greenville County    SC

Field

Follicles muricate, usually 9-11cm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

JK Marlow    s080914_e

September    Greenville County    SC

Field

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

Bill Stringer    wcs071020_016

October    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

The surface of the follicle is roughened by pointed spines, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Matelea carolinensis, Carolina Spinypod, Climbing Milkweed, Climbing Milkvine, Maroon Carolina Milkvine

Bill Stringer    wcs071020_017

October    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

Pods are sharply spiny, from 4 to 6" long, per Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005).

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Matelea carolinensis   FAMILY Apocynaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Matelea carolinensis   FAMILY Asclepiadaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 157-03-005:
Matelea carolinensis   FAMILY Asclepiadaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Gonolobus carolinensis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Odontostephana carolinensis

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

919

Herbaceous vine (twining)
Perennial

Habitat: Moist to dry, nutrient-rich forests, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common in Piedmont & GA Mountains (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

DOES THE PLANT HAVE "MILKY SAP"?
Has milky sap (latex)

IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Follicle surface rough, with small sharp projections ("muricate")

LEAVES:
Simple
Opposite
Leaves cordate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Maroon (rarely yellow)
Radially symmetrical
5-merous
5-lobed rotate corolla
Superior ovary
Bisexual

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Follicle

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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