Parthenocissus

Lianas, climbing by tendrils or scrambling without support and producing adventitious roots, synoecious. Branches: bark adherent; pith white, continuous through nodes; tendrils 3–12-branched, with or without adhesive discs. Leaves usually palmately compound, sometimes simple. Inflorescences usually bisexual, leaf-opposed or terminal, paniclelike or corymblike cymes, sometimes compound. Flowers bisexual; calyx cup-shaped, shallowly 5-lobed; petals 5, distinct; nectary adnate to base of ovary, annular, entire, or absent; stamens 5; style conic, short. Berries dark blue or black. Seeds 2–4 per fruit. x = 10.

Distribution

North America, Asia.

Discussion

Species 15 (4 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Parthenocissus heptaphylla, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Parthenocissus tricuspidata, Parthenocissus vitacea

Key

1	Leaves usually simple, if palmately compound then leaflets 3.	Parthenocissus tricuspidata
1	Leaves palmately compound, leaflets (4–)5–7.	> 2
2	Leaflets thick, fleshy, (5–)7, 3–5 cm; Edwards Plateau and Lampasas Cut Plain, Texas.	Parthenocissus heptaphylla
2	Leaflets thin, herbaceous, (4–)5(–7), 4–12 cm; throughout North America, including Edwards Plateau and Lampasas Cut Plain.	> 3
3	Inflorescences dichotomously branched, without distinct central axes; berries 8–12 mm diam.; tendrils (2–)3–5-branched, usually without, rarely with, adhesive discs; leaflets lustrous adaxially.	Parthenocissus vitacea
3	Inflorescences divergently branched, with distinct central axes; berries 5–8 mm diam.; tendrils 4–12-branched, with adhesive discs; leaflets dull adaxially.	Parthenocissus quinquefolia