''Parthenocissus tricuspidata'' is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the grape family (

Vitaceae The Vitaceae are a family of flowering plants, with 14 genera and around 910 known species, including common plants such as Vitis, grapevines (''Vitis'' spp.) and Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Virginia creeper (''Parthenocissus quinquefolia''). Th ...

) native to eastern

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

(

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, and northern and eastern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

), where it thrives in floodplain bushes, riverside

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...

and moist mountain mixed forests. Although unrelated to true

ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern ...

, it is commonly known as Boston ivy, grape ivy, Japanese ivy, and also as Japanese creeper, and by the name woodbine (though the latter may refer to a number of different vine species). The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

''tricuspidata'' means three-pointed, referring to the leaf shape. Boston ivy is readily distinguished from the

Virginia creeper ''Parthenocissus quinquefolia'', commonly known as Virginia creeper, woodbine, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger, is a species of flowering vine in the grape family Vitaceae. The species is native to eastern and central North America, with its r ...

(''Parthenocissus quinquefolia'') by its

simple leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, fl ...

with pointed lobes (Virginia creeper leaves are divided into five separate leaflets).

Description

It is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

growing to 30 m tall or more given suitable support, attaching itself by means of numerous small branched tendrils tipped with sticky disks. The

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are simple, palmately lobed with three lobes, occasionally unlobed or with five lobes, or sufficiently deeply lobed to be palmately compound with (usually) three leaflets; the leaves range from 5 to 22 cm across. The upper side of the leaf blade is shiny and bare, the underside is dull green and only has sparse hairs on the leaf veins. The leaf color is initially reddish green to bronze during budding, then orange-yellow to intense scarlet in autumn.

Stipule In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole (botany), petiole). They are primarily found among dicots and rare among monocots. Stipules are considered part ...

s are present.

Inflorescences

The greenish

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s are inconspicuous, greenish, in clusters; the inedible

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

is a small dark blue

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

5–10 mm diameter. The cup-shaped calyx is truncated. The hood-shaped

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s are laid back. There are short

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s. The two-chambered, lobed

ovary The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/ oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are end ...

with a short style and capitate stigma is superior. There is a discus (circular fused anthers).

Cultivation and uses

''P. tricuspidata'' uses adhesive pads to attach to surfaces, allowing it to climb vertically up trees,

walls Walls may refer to: *The plural of wall, a structure * Walls (surname), a list of notable people with the surname Places * Walls, Louisiana, United States * Walls, Mississippi, United States *Walls, Ontario Perry is a township (Canada), ...

, and other structures. Contact with a surface signals the adhesive pads to secrete mucilage through microscopic pores which dries and creates a robust adhesive bond. The ability of a single adhesive pad to support thousands of times their weight may be explored as a model for new biomimetic materials. In its native range, the vine has traditional medicinal uses (China, Korea) and as a culinary sweetener (Japan). Both within and outside of East Asia, the plant is primarily used as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

Cultivars A cultivar is a kind of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and which retains those traits when propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue cult ...

include 'Veitchii'.BBC Plant finder: Boston Ivy
Retrieved 23024-08-19. Like the related Virginia creeper, ''P. tricuspidata'' is widely grown to cover the façades of masonry buildings. This usage is actually economically important because, by

shading Shading refers to the depiction of depth perception in 3D models (within the field of 3D computer graphics) or illustrations (in visual art) by varying the level of darkness. Shading tries to approximate local behavior of light on the object's ...

walls during the summer, it can significantly reduce cooling costs. While it does not penetrate the building surface but merely attaches to it, nevertheless surface damage (such as paint scar) can occur from attempting to rip the plant from the wall. In the U.S., Boston ivy is used on the brick outfield walls at

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...

of baseball's

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

along with Japanese bittersweet (''Celastrus orbiculatus'').

Names and etymology

''Parthenocissus'' is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

terms (; "maidenly, chaste, virgin") and (; "vine") and means approximately "virgin ivy" (hence the common name of the related "

"). ''Tricuspidata'', meaning approximately "with three points", comes from the Greek and

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

prefix ("three") and the Latin ("tipped, pointed").Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 292, 386 In Mandarin Chinese, the plant goes by a number of names, most commonly ''páqiánghǔ'' (, lit. "wall-climbing tiger"), but also ''páshānhǔ'' (, lit. "mountain-climbing tiger", also refers to ''

Hedera helix ''Hedera helix'', the common ivy, European ivy, King's Choice ivy, or just ivy, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae. It is native to most of Europe and parts of western Asia. Ivy is a clinging evergreen vine that grows on t ...

''), ''dìjǐn'' (, lit. "earth brocade", the name used in the ''

Compendium of Materia Medica The ''Bencao gangmu'', known in English as the ''Compendium of Materia Medica'' or ''Great Pharmacopoeia'', is an encyclopedic gathering of medicine, natural history, and Chinese herbology compiled and edited by Li Shizhen and published in th ...

'' and the common name in Taiwan), ''tǔgǔténg'' (, lit. "dirt drum vine") and ''hóng pútáo téng'' (, lit. "red grapevine"). In

Taiwanese Hokkien Taiwanese Hokkien ( , ), or simply Taiwanese, also known as Taigi ( zh, c=臺語, tl=Tâi-gí), Taiwanese Southern Min ( zh, c=臺灣閩南語, tl=Tâi-uân Bân-lâm-gí), Hoklo and Holo, is a variety of the Hokkien language spoken natively ...

, the vine also has several names, including ''chhiûⁿ-piah-tîn'' (, lit. "wall vine"), ''peh-soaⁿ-hó͘ '' (, lit. "mountain-climbing tiger"), ''âng-koah'' (, lit. "red vine"), ''thô͘-kó͘-tîn'' ( lit. "dirt drum vine", a cognate with the Mandarin) and ''âng-kut-chôa'' (, lit. "red-boned snake", a name that refers to at least five other plants as well). In Korean, the plant is called ''damjaeng'ideonggul'' () in reference to it growing on walls. In contexts of Korean traditional medicine, it is known as ''jigeum'' (/, a cognate with the Mandarin Chinese ''dìjǐn'' from the ''Compendium of Materia Medica'', as well as other names such as ''nakseok'' (/), ''jangchundeung'' (/), ''pasanho'' (/), ''naman'' (/) and ''yongninbyeongnyeo'' (/). In Japanese, the vine is known usually as ''tsuta'' (; ), but also as ''amazura'' (; ), lit. "sweet vine" ''natsuzuta'' (; ), or rarely ''jinishiki'' (; ). In Okinawan, the vine is called ''cita'' (; ), while in the Taiwanese indigenous language Paiwan it is ''tiyaroromao''.

Gallery

Image:Ivy Cover.JPG, Boston ivy covering the exterior of an

apartment building An apartment (American English, Canadian English), flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), tenement ( Scots English), or unit (Australian English) is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) ...

near

Kips Bay, Manhattan Kips Bay, or Kip's Bay, is a List of Manhattan neighborhoods, neighborhood on the east side of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by 34th Street (Manhattan), 34th Street to the north, the East ...

Image:Ivy_on_Chicago_University_campus_building.jpg , Boston ivy covering a building on the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

campus File:Cambridge - Japanese Creeper - 1308.jpg, Japanese creeper growing over a brick wall at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

. Image:Wilder_wein_02.jpg, Sticky disks of ''Parthenocissus tricuspidata'' Image:Wrigley_Field_400_sign.jpg, Wrigley Field's famous ivy covered outfield walls. Image:Parthenocissus tricuspidata (Kalamata).jpg, Stone house covered with Boston ivy in

Kalamata Kalamata ( ) is the second most populous city of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece after Patras, and the largest city of the Peloponnese (region), homonymous administrative region. As the capital and chief port of the Messenia regiona ...

File:Klättervildvin (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) Ystad-2015.jpg, Boston ivy covering a wall.

Ystad Ystad () is a town and the seat of Ystad Municipality, in Scania County, Sweden. Ystad had 18,350 inhabitants in 2010. The settlement dates from the 11th century and has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre, and tourist attracti ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. 20230730 Parthenocissus tricuspidata Winobluszcz trójklapowy Panewniki Poland 01.jpg, Leaf close-up

Notes

References

External links

''Parthenocissus tricuspidata''
at Plants of Taiwan {{Taxonbar, from=Q157979 tricuspidata Vines Flora of Japan Flora of Korea Flora of China Garden plants of Asia Plants described in 1846 Taxa named by Philipp Franz von Siebold Taxa named by Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini