Flora of North America species comparison

annual, erect to ascending, branched, 2–2.5 m, herbaceous, glabrous;

prickles absent.

perennial, climbing, branching, terete, 5+ m × 15 mm, woody, glaucous, glabrous;

prickles dark, flat, to 12 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 arranged;

petiole 0.5–1.5 cm;

blade abaxially green, drying to pale brown to brownish green, oblong-elliptic, lance-elliptic, or, sometimes, linear or broadly ovate, not prominently reticulate, 3-veined from base, 7–13 × 1.3–4(–6) cm, coriaceous, not glaucous, glabrous or minutely pubescent abaxially, base attenuate to rounded;

margins entire, often revolute, teeth absent;

apex acute to rounded, often mucronate.

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

peduncle to 12+ cm, short.

numerous, axillary to leaves, generally on short branches, 5–12(–25)-flowered, ± open, spherical;

peduncle 0.5–1.5 cm, shorter than subtending leaf.

perianth greenish;

tepals 35–45 mm;

anthers equaling or shorter than filaments;

ovules (1–)2 per locule;

pedicel 0.5–1.5 cm.

perianth yellow, cream, or white;

tepals 4–5 mm;

anthers exceeding filaments;

ovule 1 per locule;

pedicel 0.5-1 cm.

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

black, ovoid, 5–8 mm, shining, glaucous.

forming extensive colonies;

rhizomes irregularly branched, tuberous, woody.

= 26.