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Flowers: |
Berries: (5-7mmφ, poisonous) |
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10th Sept 2014, Netherton, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
On someone's back garden wall backing onto the canal. Unlike False Virginia Creeper which lacks sticky discs terminating its tendrils, Virginia-Creeper has them and is thus capable of climbing up tall smooth walls to a height of 20 to 30m. (False Virginia-Creeper, on the other hand, has to rely only on winding non-sticky tendrils around smaller objects in order to clamber up through vegetation and shrubs). |
10th Sept 2014, Netherton, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
The leaves can turn reddish in strong sunlight, which protects them from the ravages of excess sun. |
10th Sept 2014, Netherton, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
The flowers, in bud here, not yet open, are in bunches called 'cymes' (lower left). |
10th Sept 2014, Netherton, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
Unlike the shiny green leaves of False Virginia-Creeper, the leaves of Virginia Creeper are dull-green on upper surface, although these don't seem to be as dull as what is specified for Virginia-Creeper. Unlike Boston Ivy with simple or 3-lobed leaves, most leaves are palmate, with 5 stalked leaflets (a few may have just 3). |
10th Sept 2014, Netherton, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
A cyme of un-opened flower buds, green at first. |
10th Sept 2014, Netherton, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
Lacking petals they have 5 sepals (which will unfurl resembling petals when ready). |
10th Sept 2014, Netherton, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
The flowers are set in a small chalice-like cup (purple here - in centre). |
10th Sept 2014, Netherton, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
A lone and opened flower that your Author missed, otherwise he would have taken a better photo of it. |
10th Sept 2014, Netherton, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
Rear of leaves are pale green. |
10th Sept 2014, Netherton, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
Here the plants tendrils have wrapped around part of itself. |
10th Sept 2014, Netherton, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Merseyside. | Photo: © RWD |
Not only does this plant have tendrils, but those tendrils have small dark-brown sticky discs attached to the wooden fence, which indicates that this plant is Virginia-Creeper (rather than False Virginia-Creeper which has only tendrils; no sticky discs). If only your Author had spotted these he would have taken a better photo. Virginia-Creeper has 5-8 (up to 12) tendrils each with a terminal sticky discoidal pad. |
Easily mistaken for : False Virginia-Creeper (Parthenocissus inserta) but that has brighter-green shinier leaves and tendrils which lack the sticky discoidal pads on the ends, which means it can only climb by twisting tendrils around small objects such as other plant branches.
Some similarities to : Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricspidata) but that has (most) leaves which have either 3 lobes (rather than leaflets) or are just simple leaves.
No relation to : Virgin's-Bower (Clematis flammula) or
Nor is it related to The berries, which end up being a blackish-blue grape-colour, are poisonous containing raphide crystals of Oxalic Acid which are so sharp and narrow as to easily penetrate and rupture individual cells causing lysis; it is thus a mechanical poison - oxalic acid is not very soluble in water. Death is a possibility if a lot has been consumed. The sap also contains oxalic acid which on the skin can cause a persistent itchiness and redness if scratched. Unlike False Virginia-Creeper, the tendrils on Virginia Creeper have a sticky disc at their terminations, which enables them not only to clamber and grab-hold of a purchase on other plants by twisting their tendrils around branches and other small objects, but also to climb flat vertical walls by means of the sticky adhesive pads on the ends of the tendrils when there is nothing for the tendrils to wrap around. The adhesive pads are 5mm across and able to stick to virtually any surface with tenacity.
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Parthenocissus | quinquefolia | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Vitaceae |
Parthenocissus (Virginia-Creepers) |
Vine Family [Vitaceae] |