textAdminOnlyNameForClipboard

Monkey Rope

Secamone alpini

SA tree number

English: Monkey Rope

Afrikaans: Bobbejaantou, Bostou

Synonyms: Periploca secamone, Secamone thunbergii, Secamone thunbergii var. retusa, Periploca alpini

Secamone alpini, also known as Monkey Rope or Bobbejaantou, is a vigorous liane (a woody climbing plant) or a scrambling shrub that often forms long, rope-like stems that coil like tendrils. It's an evergreen plant with shiny, dark green leaves and small, greenish-yellow or white flowers that are intricately hairy inside.

When it fruits, it produces slender, paired seed pods that split open to release seeds with silky tufts of hair, which helps them float away on the wind.

Have you got a better picture?

If you don't mind us using it, please upload it by clicking the Upload button below (you must be logged in to do this)

Distinguishing features:

Robust liane (woody climber) or scrambling shrub.
Stems often form tendril-like coils.
Stems covered in minute, rusty hairs, especially when young.
Leaves are opposite, shiny, and often leathery.
Flowers are small, greenish-yellow or white, with spreading white hairs on the inside of the corolla lobes.
Fruit consists of paired, widely diverging, slender follicles (seed pods).
Produces milky latex when cut.

Overall appearance:

Secamone alpini is a robust, evergreen climbing or scrambling plant known for its rope-like stems and glossy leaves. It is often found growing on the margins of forests and thickets, producing inconspicuous flowers followed by distinctive paired seed pods.

Height:

Can reach up to 10 m as a scrambler or liane.

Leaves:

Opposite arrangement.
Variable shape: ovate-oblong (oval with a longer axis), lanceolate (spear-shaped), or obovate (oval, wider at the top).
Length ranges from 2.5 cm to 9 cm.
Leathery texture.
Often apiculate (ending in a short, sharp point).
Covered in rusty hairs on the underside, especially when young.
Shiny dark green on the upper surface.
Petiole (leaf stalk) up to 11 mm long.

Flowers:

Very small.
Greenish-yellow or white.
Corolla (petals) lobes covered in spreading white hairs on the inside.
Staminal corona lobes (parts of the flower around the stamens) are present, small, and erect, incurved over the anthers.
Pollen gathered into 4 pollinia (waxy masses of pollen).
Borne in axillary (from leaf axils) and terminal (at stem tips) branched heads.

Flowering season:

November to April. Also listed as October to January in some regions.

Fruits:

Paired follicles (seed pods) that diverge widely.
Slender, tapering to a long point.
Length ranges from 4.5 cm to 10 cm.
Dark greenish-brown colour.
Dehiscent, meaning the seed pod splits open along a built-in line of weakness to release its seeds.

Seeds:

Have a tuft of hair on one end, which aids in wind dispersal.

Stems:

Robust liane (woody climber) or scrambling shrub.
Form tendril-like coils.
Covered in minute rusty hairs.
Exude milky latex when cut.

Distribution and habitat:

Not endemic to South Africa. Also found in Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
In South Africa, it is widespread across eastern South Africa, from the Limpopo River Valley southwards through North West, Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal to the Eastern and Southern Cape coastal areas, as far as the Cape Peninsula and the Bokkeveld Escarpment.
Habitat includes thickets, upland forest in tropical regions, and coastal bush or dune forest in the Cape.

Derivation of name:

The genus name Secamone is thought to be derived from an Arabic or Indian common name for a species in the genus.
The specific epithet alpini is named after Prospero Alpino (1553-1617), an Italian botanist.
The common name 'Monkey Rope' refers to its vigorous, coiling, rope-like stems. 'Bobbejaantou' is Afrikaans for 'baboon rope'.

Interesting facts:

This plant is a bit of a "climber extraordinaire"! Its stems can coil like tendrils, helping it scramble and climb its way through other plants, much like a monkey might use a rope – which is how it got its awesome common name, "Monkey Rope"!
When you cut it, Secamone alpini oozes a milky latex. It's like the plant has its own secret white blood!
Don't blink when it's releasing its seeds! Its slender seed pods split open, and the seeds, each with a little tuft of silky hair, float away on the wind like tiny parachutists.
Even though its flowers are tiny and not super flashy, they have these cool, fine white hairs on the inside – a little secret detail if you look closely!

Growing tips:

Planting location: Secamone alpini is a vigorous climber, so it needs a strong support structure like a trellis, fence, or even other robust trees (if you don't mind it scrambling over them). It's best for margins of forests or thickets where it can mimic its natural growth habit.
Aspect: Based on its natural habitat on forest margins, it likely thrives in a range of light conditions from partial shade to full sun.
Soil and watering: No specific soil types are mentioned, but generally, climbers prefer well-drained soil. Regular watering during establishment would be beneficial, but once mature, it's likely quite hardy.
Maintenance: May require pruning to control its vigorous growth, especially if space is limited.
Propagation: No specific propagation tips were found in the primary sources, but generally, climbers can be grown from seeds or cuttings.

This plant is a fantastic alternative for:

Common name

Scientific Name

Plant type:

Plant type

Plant family:

Plant family (derivation)