Muehlenbeckia Meissn.
Muehlenbeckia is a genus with 23 species, predominantly distributed in New Guinea and Australia with some additional species in New Zealand, Central and South America (Mabberley 2008). The morphologically quite different monotypic genus Homalocladium (F. Muell.) L.H. Bailey is often included in it but both are genetically distinct (Galasso & al. 2009).
Several species of Muehlenbeckia are grown as ornamentals. Akeroyd (1989) cites seven species for Europe but only one or two are more or less widespread in cultivation: M. axillaris (J.D. Hooker) Walpers and M. complexa (A. Cunn.) Meissn. The latter has been recorded as an escape in Belgium. Yet another species, M. hastulata (Smith) I.M. Johnston, is also grown for ornament and has been recorded in North America as an escape (Freeman 2005).
References
Akeroyd J.R. (1989) Muehlenbeckia. In: Walters S.M. & al. (eds.), The European Garden Flora, vol. 3. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 129.
Brandbyge J. (1992) The genus Muehlenbeckia (Polygonaceae) in South and Central America. Bot. Jahrb. 114(3): 349-416.
Freeman C.C. (2005) Muehlenbeckia. In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee (eds.), Flora of North America, vol. 5. Oxford University Press, New York-Oxford: 485-486. [available online at: http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=121280]
Galasso G., Banfi E., De Mattia F., Grassi F., Sgorbati S. & Labra M. (2009) Molecular phylogeny of Polygonum L. s.l. (Polygonoideae, Polygonaceae), focusing on European taxa: preliminary results and systematic considerations based on rbcL plastidial sequence data. Atti Soc. It. Sci. Nat. Museo Civ. Stor. Nat. Milano 150(1): 113-148. [available online at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257029473_Molecular_phylogeny_o...
Mabberley D.J. (2008) Mabberley’s plant-book (3th ed.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: XVIII + 1021 p.