Flora of North America species comparison

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

perennial, climbing, branching, terete to quadrangular, 5–6+ m × 6 mm, woody, glabrous;

prickles green with dark tips, stout, to 12 mm.

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.

deciduous to evergreen, ± evenly disposed;

petiole 0.5–1.5 cm;

tendrils numerous;

blade variable, bright green, drying to pale to brownish green, usually ovate to broadly ovate, with 3 (or 5) ± prominent veins, 4–17 × 4–16 cm, lustrous, not glaucous, glabrous abaxially, base cordate to rounded with acute insertion at petiole, margins entire, apex abruptly pointed.

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.

numerous, axillary to leaves, 5–12(–20)-flowered, open to dense, hemispherical to spherical;

peduncle to 1.5 cm, longer or shorter than petiole of subtending leaf.

perianth yellowish;

tepals 3–4 mm;

anthers much shorter than filaments;

ovule 1 per locule;

pedicel thin, 0.1–0.4 cm.

perianth pale yellowish green to bronze;

tepals 3–4 mm;

anthers shorter than to ± equaling filaments;

ovule 1 per locule;

pedicel 0.2–1.5 cm.

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

blue-black to black, globose, 5–8 mm, glaucous.

;

rhizomes linear.

= 32.