Flora of North America species comparison

bark exfoliating in shreds;

nodal diaphragms 2.5–4 mm thick;

branchlets uniformly red, purplish red, or chestnut, subterete, glabrous or very sparsely arachnoid, growing tips not enveloped by unfolding leaves;

tendrils red-pigmented when young, along length of branchlets, persistent, branched, tendrils (or inflorescences) at only 2 consecutive nodes;

nodes not red-banded.

stipules 1.5–3 mm;

petiole somewhat shorter than blade;

blade usually cordate, 8–14 cm, usually deeply 3(–5)-lobed, apex long acuminate, abaxial surface not glaucous, glabrous, visible, veins and vein axils sometimes hirtellous, adaxial surface glabrous.

alternate, simple or palmately or pinnately compound;

stipules present;

petiole present;

blade often palmately lobed, margins dentate, serrate, or crenate;

venation palmate or pinnate.

6–18 cm.

bisexual or functionally unisexual, axillary or terminal and appearing leaf-opposed, cymes or thryses [spikes].

functionally unisexual.

bisexual or unisexual;

perianth and androecium hypogynous;

hypanthium absent;

sepals 4–5(–9), connate most or all of length;

petals (3–)4–5(–9), distinct (connate distally, forming calyptra, in Vitis) [connate basally], valvate, free;

nectary intrastaminal;

stamens (3–)4–5(–9), opposite petals, distinct;

anthers dehiscing by longitudinal slits;

staminodes present in functionally pistillate flowers;

pistil 1, 2[–3]-carpellate, ovary superior, 2[–3]-locular, placentation axile, sometimes appearing parietal;

ovules 2 per locule, apotropous or anatropous;

style 1;

stigma 1 [4].

berries.

bluish black to black, slightly or not glaucous, globose, 8–10 mm diam., skin separating from pulp;

lenticels absent.

1–4 per fruit.

or lianas, occasionally shrubby [trees], synoecious, dioecious, or polygamomonoecious; commonly with multicellular, stalked, caducous, spheric structures (pearl glands);

tendrils usually present, rarely absent.

= 38.