Common silkpod facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Common silkpod |
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| Common silkpod | |
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| Close-up of the flower | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Parsonsia
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| Species: |
straminea
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms | |
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Lyonsia straminea R.Br. |
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Parsonsia straminea, also known as the common silkpod or monkey rope, is a woody vine. It belongs to the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. You can find this plant in New South Wales and Queensland, which are states in Australia.
Contents
About the Common Silkpod
How it Got its Name
A famous botanist named Robert Brown first found this plant. He collected it in New South Wales between October and November 1804. In 1810, he gave it the name Lyonsia straminea.
Brown named the group Lyonsia after Israel Lyons. He was a mathematician and botanist. The word straminea is Latin. It means "straw-coloured," which describes the plant's look. Later, in 1868, another botanist, Ferdinand von Mueller, moved it to the Parsonsia group.
What it Looks Like
The common silkpod is a vine that can grow very long. Its woody stems can be about 9 centimetres (3.5 inches) thick. They can reach up to 20 metres (66 feet) high into tree branches. This plant climbs by wrapping itself around things. It also uses special roots to help it stick.
If you cut or damage the plant, a clear, pale brown liquid comes out. Its adult leaves are tough and grow in pairs. The top of the leaves is yellowish-green. The bottom is a pale grey-green color. They are usually 4 to 24 centimetres (1.6 to 9.4 inches) long. They are 1.5 to 8 centimetres (0.59 to 3.15 inches) wide. Leaves growing in shadier spots are often bigger.
The plant has sweet-smelling, pale yellow flowers. They grow in clusters from November to June. The most flowers appear around February. After the flowers, long, thin pods grow. These pods are about 10 to 20 centimetres (3.9 to 7.9 inches) long. They split open from September to December. Inside are feathery seeds. The wind carries these seeds away to new places.
Where it Grows
The common silkpod grows along the east coast of Australia. You can find it from northeastern Queensland down to southern New South Wales. It grows as far south as Mount Gulaga. This vine likes shady places. It often grows in rainforests or at the edges of rainforests. It also grows in floodplains. It prefers rich soils made from basalt and sandstone.
Animals and the Common Silkpod
Some caterpillars like to eat the common silkpod. These include the caterpillars of the common crow butterfly (Euploea core). The Cairns hamadryad butterfly (Tellervo zoilus subsp. zoilus) also feeds on it.
Growing Your Own Silkpod
You can grow the common silkpod in many different types of soil. It can also grow in various sunny or shady spots. People sometimes use it to cover fences or screens. But be careful, as it can grow very fast and might cover other plants nearby. You can start new plants from cuttings or by layering.
