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Parthenocissus inserta - (image 1 of 4)

Taxonomy

Family: Vitaceae

Habitat

Clambers over shrubs and small trees in more open areas than P. quinquefolia.

Associates

In the gravel of railroad ballast, it is found with Acer negundo, Ambrosia artemisiifolia elatior, Ambrosia trifida, Apocynum sibiricum, Asclepias syriaca, Convolvulus sepium, Equistium laevigatum, Euphorbia maculata, Rubus occidentalis, Solidago altissima, Symphoricarpos occidentalis.

Distribution

Quebec and New England to NJ, west to Manitoba and IN, west to WY, UT, AZ, and TX. The USDA shows this plants distributed throughout the western U.S.

Morphology

Woody vine. Leaves alternate, palmate compound; leaflets 5, elliptic to obovate, toothed. Tendrils 3-5 branched, twining but without adhesive discs. Inflorescence dichotomously branched, without a central axis. Flowers perfect, greenish; sepals 5; stamens 5. Fruit a blue-black berry.

Notes

Flowers mid July to early August.

Wetland indicator: Facultative Upland

Very similar to Virginia Creeper but less capable of climbing on solid surfaces because it lacks adhesive discs on the tendrils.

Also called Woodbine or Grape Woodbine. Although I am using the scientific name provided by Swink & Wilhelm, this plant would apply to P. vitacea (Knerr) Hitchc. according Gleason & Cronquist. The latter suggests that the name P. inserta could have been misapplied.

References

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.

The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY

Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.

USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov).
National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

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