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Railroad vine can cover 100 ft (30.5 m) as it races along the beach, but it never gets more than a few inches high. This is an evergreen perennial with a large, thick root that can be 10 ft (3.1 m) long and 2 in (5.1 cm) in diameter. The stem is flexible, 0.5 in (1.3 cm) in diameter, branches freely and roots at the nodes. The fleshy leathery leaves are about 4 in (10.2 cm) long and carried on petioles 6 in (15.2 m) long. The leaves are notched at the apex, creating two equal lobes which must have looked like the imprint of a goat's foot to Professor Linnaeus who named the plant. The flowers are very showy, pink to lavender purple funnels about 2 in (5.1 m) long. Each flower opens only once, in the morning, but they keep coming almost all year long, peaking from May through November.
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Like sea oats, railroad vine is highly resistant to heat, salt and wind. Railroad vine is a robust ground cover where few other plants can even survive. It helps to stabilize sand dunes by rooting at nodes all along its length, and is often planted for that purpose. Use railroad vine for a groundcover on excessively dry soils. Railroad vine grows to great lengths to please. The Carib Indians used railroad vine in ritual baths to alleviate evil spells. The juice from the succulent leaves has been used as a first aid to treat jellyfish stings.
Features Steve Christman 11/10/00
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