''Parthenocissus'' , is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of tendril climbing plants in the grape

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

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 ...

. It contains about 12

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...

to the Himalaya, eastern Asia and North America. Several are grown for ornamental use, notably ''P. henryana'', ''P. quinquefolia'' and ''P. tricuspidata''.

Etymology

The name derives from the Greek παρθένος (''parthenos'') "virgin", and κισσός (''kissós'') (Latinized as "cissus"), "ivy

The reason is variously given as the ability of these creepers to form seeds without pollen, pollination or the English name of ''P. quinquefolia'', Virginia creeper, which has become attached to the whole genus.

Fossil record

Among the middle

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

Sarmatian The Sarmatians (; ; Latin: ) were a large confederation of Ancient Iranian peoples, ancient Iranian Eurasian nomads, equestrian nomadic peoples who dominated the Pontic–Caspian steppe, Pontic steppe from about the 5th century BCE to the 4t ...

palynoflora from the

Lavanttal The Lavanttal ('Lavant Valley', , Gams, Ivan. 1992. "Labotska dolina." ''Enciklopedija Slovenije'', vol. 6. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, pp. 87–87. or ; Southern Bavarian: ''Lovnthol'') lies in the Lavanttal Alps in southern Austria in the eas ...

Basin,

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

n researchers have recognized ''Parthenocissus'' fossil pollen. The sediment containing the ''Parthenocissus'' fossil pollen had accumulated in a lowland wetland environment with various vegetation units of mixed evergreen/deciduous broadleaved/conifer forests surrounding the wetland basin. Key relatives of the fossil taxa found with ''Parthenocissus'' are presently confined to humid warm temperate environments, suggesting a

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

climate during the middle Miocene in Austria.Combined LM and SEM study of the middle Miocene (Sarmatian) palynoflora from the Lavanttal Basin, Austria: part III. Magnoliophyta 1 – Magnoliales to Fabales, Friðgeir Grímsson, Barbara Meller, Johannes M. Bouchal & Reinhard Zetter, Grana 2015, Vol 54, No. 2, 85-128.

Food plants

''Parthenocissus'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species including the

brown-tail The brown-tail moth (''Euproctis chrysorrhoea'') is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is native to Europe, neighboring countries in Asia, and the north coast of Africa. Descriptions of outbreaks, i.e., large population increases of several years ...

and Gothic.

Species

From Asia

*Three leaved **''

Parthenocissus chinensis ''Parthenocissus'' , is a genus of tendril climbing plants in the grape family, Vitaceae. It contains about 12 species native to the Himalaya, eastern Asia and North America. Several are grown for ornamental use, notably ''P. henryana'', ''P. ...

'', this species grows in dry areas between 1300 and 2300 m in

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 ...

in the west of both

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

and

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

. **''

Parthenocissus heterophylla ''Parthenocissus'' , is a genus of tendril climbing plants in the grape family, Vitaceae. It contains about 12 species native to the Himalaya, eastern Asia and North America. Several are grown for ornamental use, notably ''P. henryana'', ''P. ...

'', from China and Taiwan **''

Parthenocissus semicordata ''Parthenocissus semicordata'' (Wall) Planch. 1811 ( synonym: ''P. himalayana'') is a creeper related to the grapevine family. It is a native plant of the Himalaya. Its name is derived from Latin 'corda' meaning heart. References External l ...

'', from the Himalaya **''

Parthenocissus feddei ''Parthenocissus'' , is a genus of tendril vine, climbing plants in the grape family (biology), family, Vitaceae. It contains about 12 species native plant, native to the Himalaya, eastern Asia and North America. Several are grown for ornamental ...

'', this species grows in rocky places between elevations of 600 and 1100 m in the Chinese provinces of

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

Guizhou ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_map = Guizhou in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_alt = Map showing the location of Guizhou Province , map_caption = Map s ...

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

and

Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...

*Five leaved **''

Parthenocissus henryana ''Parthenocissus henryana'' (Chinese Virginia-creeper or silver vein creeper) is a species of flowering plant in the vine family Vitaceae, native to China. Description It is a vigorous, deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, ...

'', Chinese Virginia creeper from China **''

Parthenocissus laetevirens ''Parthenocissus laetevirens'' is a climbing plant species in the genus ''Parthenocissus ''Parthenocissus'' , is a genus of tendril vine, climbing plants in the grape family (biology), family, Vitaceae. It contains about 12 species native pla ...

'' *One or three leaved **'' Parthenocissus dalzielii'', from east and south-east Asia **''

Parthenocissus suberosa ''Parthenocissus'' , is a genus of tendril climbing plants in the grape family, Vitaceae. It contains about 12 species native to the Himalaya, eastern Asia and North America. Several are grown for ornamental use, notably ''P. henryana'', ''P. q ...

'' **''

Parthenocissus tricuspidata ''Parthenocissus tricuspidata'' is a species of flowering plant in the grape family (Vitaceae) native to eastern Asia (Korea, Japan, and northern and eastern China), where it thrives in floodplain bushes, riverside woodland and moist mountain m ...

'', Japanese creeper or Boston ivy, from eastern Asia

From North America

*Seven or five-leaved **'' Parthenocissus heptaphylla'', sevenleaf creeper, from Texas and Mexico **'' Parthenocissus inserta'', thicket creeper, woodbine, or grape woodbine, from western and northern North America **'' Parthenocissus quinquefolia'', Virginia creeper, from eastern North America

References

Vitaceae genera {{Vitaceae-stub