Flora of North America species comparison

perennial, prostrate to clambering, branching, slender, to 1 m, ± woody, densely woolly-pubescent, usually prickly (especially at base).

annual, climbing, branched, 2–3 m, herbaceous, glabrous;

prickles absent.

mostly evergreen, ± evenly disposed;

petiole 0.05–0.25 cm, often longer on sterile shoots;

blade gray-green, drying to ashy gray-green, obovate to ovate-lanceolate, with 3 prominent veins, 6–10.5 × 5–8 cm, glabrous adaxially, densely puberulent abaxially, base cordate to deeply notched, margins entire, apex bluntly pointed.

evenly distributed, proximalmost reduced to bracts;

petiole shorter than blade;

tendrils numerous, long, functional;

blade dark green, triangular, ovate, or slightly hastate, 2.5–8.5 × 4–7.5 cm, membranous, glabrous and glaucous abaxially, base truncate, cordate, or hastate, lobes rounded;

margins entire;

apex cuspidate.

1–7, axillary to leaves, 5–16-flowered, loose, spherical;

peduncle 0.2–0.8 cm, shorter than to 1.5 as long as petiole of subtending leaf.

axillary to leaves, staminate to 20-flowered, pistillate few–40-flowered, moderately dense, subspherical;

peduncle of staminate umbel ± equaling subtending leaf, pistillate to 13.5 cm.

perianth yellowish;

tepals 3–4 mm;

anthers much shorter than filaments;

ovule 1 per locule;

pedicel thin, 0.1–0.4 cm.

perianth light green;

tepals 1.5–2 mm;

anthers slightly shorter than to equaling filaments;

ovules (1–)2 per locule;

pedicel thin, ca. 1.5 cm.

red, ovoid, 5–8 mm, with acute beaks, not glaucous.

blue, ovoid, 6–8 mm.