Bryonia alba |
Bryonia dioica |
|
---|---|---|
white bryony, wild hop |
Cretan bryony, red bryony, wild hop |
|
Leaves | petiole 2–4.5 cm; blade orbiculate to ovate or 3–5-angular, palmately 5-lobed, 3–5 × 3–6 cm, lobes deltate to triangular, central lobe largest, base cordate, margins remotely dentate, surfaces hispidulous. |
|
Flowers | calyx campanulate; sepals recurving, whitish, green-veined, lanceolate, 3.5–5 mm; petals yellowish to greenish white, oblong-ovate, 3–7 mm; stigmas glabrous. |
calyx campanulate; sepals green, deltate, 0.5–1 mm; petals white to cream or yellowish green, ovate-lanceolate, 3–5 mm; stigmas hairy. |
Fruits | 4–6(–10), black, 0.6–1 cm, peduncles 2–3[–14] cm. |
1 or 3–4(–5), red to orange, 0.6–0.8 cm, peduncles (0–)1–5 cm. |
Seeds | 2–6(–8), 4–5 × 2 mm. |
3–6, 3 × 2 mm. |
Vines | monoecious, high-climbing or forming dense mats over vegetation, to 7 m. Leaves: petiole 1.5–3.5 cm; blade hastate to 5-angular, palmately 3–5-lobed, 3–8(–15) × 2–6(–8) cm, lobes ovate to deltate or triangular, central lobe largest, base deeply cordate, margins coarsely dentate to remotely dentate or serrate, surfaces hispidulous to scabrous or pustulate, not white-sericeous abaxially. |
dioecious, high-climbing. |
2n | = 20. |
= 20. |
Bryonia alba |
Bryonia dioica |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Aug. | Flowering Jun–Aug. |
Habitat | Sagebrush, riparian zones, thickets, stream terraces, irrigation ditches, seeps, moist slopes, draws, lawns, roadsides, fencerows, picnic areas, disturbed sites | Disturbed places |
Elevation | 100–1800 m (300–5900 ft) | 0–100 m (0–300 ft) |
Distribution |
ID; MT; NJ; UT; WA; Europe; Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in n, e Europe (Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Poland), Pacific Islands (Hawaii)]
|
CA; Europe; w Asia; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also elsewhere in Europe (Czech Republic, England), Pacific Islands (New Zealand)] |
Discussion | Bryonia alba has been naturalized in the United States since the 1880s and may have been introduced through commercial seed trade. A tincture from the roots has been widely used as an effective diuretic. The seeds are dispersed by birds. As noted by C. Jeffrey (1969), Bryonia alba is monoecious in northern Europe, as it seems consistently to be in the flora area; it is commonly dioecious in the southeastern part of its native range (Macedonia to Turkey and southwestern Russia). Measurements from relatively few collections suggest that peduncles of Bryonia alba are longer in Europe (4–14 cm) than in North America (2–3 cm). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Naturalized plants of Bryonia dioica were first collected in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco in 1919 and 1920 and have been recollected as recently as 1965. C. Jeffrey (1969) noted that the glandular inflorescences of B. dioica distinguish it from B. cretica. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 6, p. 12. | FNA vol. 6, p. 13. |
Parent taxa | Cucurbitaceae > Bryonia | Cucurbitaceae > Bryonia |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | B. cretica subsp. dioica | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1012. (1753) | Jacquin: Fl. Austriac. 2: 59, plate 199. (1774) |
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