Flora of North America species comparison

annual, erect to ascending, branched, 2–2.5 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.

evenly distributed, proximalmost smaller, narrower;

petiole 1.5–9 cm, shorter than blade;

tendrils numerous, long, functional;

blade not lustrous, pale green abaxially, ovate to round, 4–8 × 3–6 cm, not glaucous, pubescent abaxially, with transparent trichomes, base cordate, margins entire, convex, apex acuminate to rounded and cuspidate.

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.

many, axillary to leaves, to 35-flowered, dense, globose;

peduncle to 12+ cm, short.

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

peduncle 1.5–6+ cm.

perianth greenish;

tepals 35–45 mm;

anthers equaling or shorter than filaments;

ovules (1–)2 per locule;

pedicel 0.5–1.5 cm.

perianth pale green;

tepals 3–4.5 mm;

anthers shorter than to ± equaling filaments;

ovule 1 per locule;

pedicel 0.8–1.2 cm.

bluish black to black, subglobose, 8–10 mm, glaucous.

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

;

rhizomes tuberous, woody, or stoloniferous.

= 26.

= 32.