Flora of North America species comparison

viny, climbing or trailing (plants scarcely viny perennials in var. dissecta).

blade 1-ternate (or terminal leaflet sometimes ternate in var. dissecta), ± firm but not succulent;

leaflets lance-ovate to triangular or suborbiculate, lobed or unlobed, margins entire or toothed.

blade undivided or 1-3-pinnately or -ternately compound;

leaf or leaflets cordate to orbiculate, oblong, lanceolate, or oblanceolate, lobed or unlobed, margins entire or toothed.

axillary and/or terminal, 1-many-flowered cymes or panicles or flowers solitary or in fascicles, to 15 cm;

bracts present and leaflike or ± scalelike or absent, not forming involucre.

sepals violet-blue, reddish violet, or white, lanceolate to ovate or elliptic-oblong.

bisexual or unisexual, radially symmetric;

sepals not persistent in fruit, 4, white, blue, violet, red, yellow, or greenish, plane, ovate to obovate or linear, 6-60 mm;

petals absent;

sometimes anther-bearing staminodes between sepals and stamens;

stamens many;

filaments filiform to flattened;

pistils 5-150, simple;

ovule 1 per pistil;

beak present.

achenes, aggregate, sessile, lenticular, nearly terete, or flattened-ellipsoid, sides not prominently veined;

beak terminal, straight or curved, 12-110 mm.

, ± woody, sometimes only at base, climbing by means of tendril-like petioles and leaf rachises, or erect, herbaceous perennials, from elongate rhizomes.

= 8.