Flora of North America species comparison

annual, erect, 2–5 m, herbaceous, glabrous;

prickles absent.

perennial, climbing, often zigzag distally, branched, terete to 4-angled, stout, to 5+ m × 5 mm, woody, glabrous or infrequently with stellate trichomes;

prickles often absent distally, tips black, flattened, broad- based, stout, 4–9 mm, rigid.

few, disposed distally or evenly distributed, subequal;

petiole shorter than blade;

tendrils absent or rudimentary;

blade oblong, oblong-ovate, or sometimes oval, 2.5–12 × 1.5–7.5 cm, not glaucous, puberulent abaxially, base rounded to slightly cordate, margins entire, apex broadly rounded to obtuse or abruptly pointed.

evergreen, ± evenly dispersed;

petiole 0.7–1.5 cm;

blade pale green, often with white blotches, drying to uniform tan, thickish, broadly ovate to lanceolate-ovate or hastate to pandurate, with 3(–5) ± prominent veins, 3–10 × 2.5–9 cm, not glaucous, glabrous or minutely pubescent abaxially, base cordate to truncate, frequently lobed;

margins entire to remotely spinose-ciliate, thickened by ribbed, cartilaginous band, often revolute and appearing as prominent vein parallel to margins, apex rounded to short-apiculate.

1–3, proximalmost axillary to bracts, 5–12-flowered.

few to numerous, axillary to leaves, 10–15+-flowered, moderately dense;

peduncle 1.5–6+ cm.

perianth greenish;

tepals 3–3.5 mm;

anthers shorter than filaments;

ovules (1–)2 per locule.

perianth pale green;

tepals 3–4.5 mm;

anthers shorter than to ± equaling filaments;

ovule 1 per locule;

pedicel 0.8–1.2 cm.

globose, 8–10 mm diam., glaucous.

black, ovoid to spherical, 6–8 mm, shiny to dull, sometimes glaucous.

;

rhizomes tuberous, woody, or stoloniferous.

= 26.

= 32.