PARTHENOCISSUS QUINQUEFOLIA

Family and Genus:- See- VITACEAE

Common Names:- Virginia creeper

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Pathenocissus (Gr) Virgin-ivy.

Quinquefolia (L) Five-leaved.

General description:- Climbing perennial.

Stems:-

1) Up to 30 m, climbing and trailing.

2) Tendrils, mostly with 5-8 branches, each of which develops, on touching a solid

support, a terminal, adhesive disc.

Leaves:-

1) Digitate. leaflets (3-)5(-7), 5-10 cm, obovate-elliptical, margins serrate, dull and

somewhat glaucous beneath.

Flowers:-

1) In terminal and leaf-opposed, more or less thyrsoid panicles with several lateral

branches.

2) Petals, c. 3 mm, deflexed, green.

Fruit:-

1) c. 6 mm, globose, with 2-3 seeds.

Key features:-

1) Leaves, all digitate, mostly 5-foliolate

2) Tendrils. with (3-)5-8(-12) branches, ending in adhesive discs

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Habitat:- A climbing plant of rock faces building and other plants.

Distribution:- Native to eastern and central North America. Variable distribution on

Crete. Introduced.

Flowering time:- June- Aug

Photo by:- Steve Lenton