Flora of North America species comparison

annual, climbing, branching, to 2.5 m, herbaceous, glabrous;

prickles absent.

perennial, climbing or not, to 12 m, woody, glabrous;

prickles sometimes absent distally, bristlelike, 3–11 mm, flexible.

evenly distributed;

petiole ± equaling blade;

tendrils numerous, long, functional;

blade lustrous, dark green abaxially, narrowly to broadly ovate, 8–16 × 3.5–9 cm, often with minute, whitish pubescence abaxially mostly on veins, with transparent trichomes, base cordate, margins entire, convex, apex long-acuminate;

leaves on branches with oblong, smaller blade.

evergreen, ± evenly dispersed;

petiole 0.5–2 cm;

blade dull green, drying to dull, ashy green, ovate to broadly ovate, conspicuously veined, 4–11 × 3–8 cm, not glaucous, glabrous, base cordate to subcordate;

margins entire, thin, flat, not banded, never lobed;

apex acute, often apiculate.

numerous, axillary to leaves, 10–35-flowered, globose;

peduncle equaling or shorter than subtending leaf.

axillary to distal leaves, (2–)8–13(–19)-flowered;

peduncle 2–5 cm, longer than petiole of subtending leaf.

perianth greenish;

tepals 3.5–5 mm;

anthers shorter than filaments, ovules (1–)2 per locule;

pedicel 0.5–2.2 cm.

perianth green;

tepals 3–6 mm;

ovule 1 per locule;

pedicel thin, 1–1.5 cm.

black, subglobose, 8–10 mm, not glaucous.

black, ovoid, 7–9 mm.

= 26.