It looks like our North American "Mikania scandens" a.k.a.
Climbing Boneset. Perhaps another member of the Mikania genus.

Philip Wright


Richard Wright wrote:
Can somebody please identify the weed shown in photos at:

http://www.box.net/shared/static/hko6tdvy80.jpg

The place is East Timor. The photos were taken last week.

It is a weed in that it invades cleared ground.

It may also be an exotic weed.

The locals told me two different stories:

1. that the Indonesians seeded areas from the air, to provide cover
for their soldiers;

2. that the plant comes from Australia.

It is not spiny, but is difficult to push through.

Richard