Flora of North America species comparison

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

prickles absent.

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, distally disposed (± evenly disposed on immature plants);

petiole 0.3–1.3 cm;

blade deep green, often variegated, drying to pale green, lanceolate-elliptic to narrowly ovate, prominently reticulate, 5-veined from base, 5–6.6 × 1.7–3 cm, abaxially glabrous, not glaucous, base rounded to cuneate, margins entire to undulate, apex acuminate.

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

many, axillary to leaves, 7–15-flowered, loose to dense, hemispherical to spherical;

peduncle 0.5–2.3 cm.

perianth greenish;

tepals 3–3.5 mm;

anthers shorter than filaments;

ovules (1–)2 per locule.

perianth green;

tepals 3–6 mm;

anthers ± 1/5 as long as filaments;

ovule 1 per locule;

pedicel (0.3–)0.5–0.7(–1) cm.

globose, 8–10 mm diam., glaucous.

black, globose to compressed, 5.5–8 mm, glaucous.

;

rhizomes irregularly tuberous, branched, thick, to 1.5+ m. Stems perennial, climbing, greenish or reddish brown, terete, 10+ m × 27 mm, woody, glabrous, glaucous when young;

prickles few, scattered, recurved, flattened, 3–4 mm.

= 26.