Types of Vines

Poison Ivy, Poison Oak

Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac

Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac, common names applied to three plants of a genus in the cashew family, capable of producing an allergic reaction in people who have become sensitized to them. Poison ivy and poison oak are variants of a single plant (sometimes treated as separate species by botanists), different mainly in the shape of their leaflets. Both are woody perennial plants of roadsides, thickets, hedgerows, and open woods, and one or the other is found throughout the United States and southern Canada. They may take the form of vines climbing up tree trunks to considerable height, shrubs or subshrubs standing erect by themselves, or vines trailing on the forest floor, sometimes also trailing out into meadows from hedgerows. Distinguishing characteristics include the regular grouping of three leaflets in each leaf, and stiff clusters of small, yellowish or white berries that appear in summer and fall. Other characteristics vary considerably, especially size of leaflet, notching, whether the surface is shiny or dull, or color.

Poison sumac is a tall, smooth-stemmed shrub that grows in swamps throughout the eastern United States and Canada. It bears pinnately compound leaves with about 7 to 13 leaflets, including one at the tip. The fruits are white or yellowish berries in clusters similar to those of poison ivy. See Sumac.

Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac contain a lacquerlike resin in their sap. The resin is composed of active substances that provoke a sensitizing reaction in most, if not all, persons the first time effective contact occurs. Contact may be made by brushing past the leaves or the bare stems. Contact with exposed pets, clothing, or garden tools many induce a reaction. Smoke from burning ivy plants may carry the resin and affect all uncovered parts of the body.

After a person has become sensitized, subsequent contact with the resin produces the typical allergic reaction of ivy poisoning. The effects do not become apparent for some hours. First, the skin reddens and begins to itch. Small watery blisters soon appear, often in lines indicating the point of contact with the plant, and the itching becomes intense. Finally, in severe cases, large watery swellings appear and coalesce. The condition is self-limiting, and recovery takes place in one to four weeks, even without treatment. A physician should be consulted in severe cases or if sensitive parts of the body, such as the eyelids, become involved. Scratching slows healing, invites infection, and may spread the resin from one location to another; the watery fluid in the blisters does not spread the reaction. Boric acid solution or calamine lotion are commonly used to relieve itching. Some or all of the resin may be removed by prompt and vigorous scrubbing with strong soap. Persons whose occupation exposes them to poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac should consider desensitization. See also Allergy.

Scientific classification: Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac belong to the genus Toxicodendron of the family Anacardiaceae. Poison ivy and poison oak are variants of Toxicodendron radicans. Poison sumac is classified as Toxicodendron vernix.


Strychnos Toxifera
Curare, poisonous substance obtained by drying an aqueous extract of a South American woody vine, Strychnos toxifera, or related species of the same genus. It is used as an arrow poison by certain Native American tribes of South America. Curare has little effect when it is taken directly, but when introduced by penetration it acts with great speed, causing loss of voluntary muscular action through paralysis and, usually, death through arrest of the muscles of respiration. Curare contains two alkaloids: curine, C18H19NO3, which paralyzes the muscle fibers of the heart, and curarine, C19H26N2O2, which paralyzes the motor nerve endings in voluntary muscles.

The first useful synthetic form of curare was developed after World War II by the Italian pharmacologist Daniel Bovet. Subsequently several other curarelike drugs were synthesized for medical use. Such compounds are used widely as muscle relaxants during surgical operations and in therapy for such diseases as rabies and tetanus.

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Types of Vines

Nightshade Family

Nightshade Family
Morning Glory, common name for a plant family (see Nightshade) that includes about 1650 species of vines, shrubs, and a few trees. Most are tropical, and many are considered weeds. The vines common bindweed and wild morning glory, for example, are widespread throughout the United States. The sweet potato, native to tropical America, belongs to this family. Dodder is a parasitic genus, lacking leaves and green color, that attaches itself to and lives on shrubs and herbs; it is a common weed in Europe and the United States.

Scientific classification: Morning glories make up the family Convolvulaceae. The common bindweed is classified as Convolvulus arvensis, the wild morning glory as Convolvulus sepium, and the common morning glory as Ipomoea purpurea. The name moonflower is applied especially to the species classified as Ipomoea alba. The dwarf morning glory is classified as Convolvulus tricolor.

Passionflower, common name for a flowering plant family, and especially for members of its principal genus. The flowers are usually perfect, generally having a five-parted calyx and five-parted corolla. All species have a more or less conspicuous crown of filaments springing from the throat of the tube formed by the base of the calyx and corolla. The family contains about 530 species, most of which are climbing plants, such as the passion vine of the southern United States, which sometimes reaches a height of 9 m (30 ft). The bell apple, or water lemon, of the West Indies is a species of passionflower with an edible fruit. The giant granadilla is a closely related plant native to Jamaica and South America. The pulp, or aril, surrounding each seed of the giant granadilla plant is used in flavoring drinks and ices.

Scientific classification: Passionflowers make up the family Passifloraceae. The principal genus is Passiflora. The passion vine is classified as Passiflora incarnata, the bell apple, or water lemon, as Passiflora laurifolia, and the giant granadilla as Passiflora quadrangularis.

Pepper, the world's most important spice (see Spices), is prepared from the peppercorn, the fruit of the pepper plant, a climbing vine native to India and widely cultivated in hot, moist areas of tropical Asia. Peppercorns that are harvested while green and immature and then allowed to dry yield black pepper. To produce white pepper, red and ripe peppercorns are soaked in water and their outer covering is rubbed off. Pepper is one of the oldest known spices, in use for at least 3000 years. Although pepper contains several alkaloids, its pungency is caused by a resin, chavicine. Chili and sweet peppers are derived from plants of the nightshade family.

Scientific classification: Peppers make up the family Piperaceae of the order Piperales. Its representative genus is Piper. Pepper elders constitute the genus Peperomia. The pepper plant is classified as Piper nigrum. Chili and sweet peppers are derived from plants of the genus Capsicum, of the family Solanaceae. The Polynesian beverage kava is produced from the plant classified as Piper methysticum. The lizard's-tail family is Saururaceae. The yerba mansa is classified as Anemopsis californica. The other family in the order Piperales is Chloranthaceae.

Verbena Family
Lantana
Common lantanas include yellow sage, which is a hairy, sometimes prickly shrub that reaches a height of 1.2 m (4 ft); weeping lantana, a ground cover vine with lilac, blue, or rose flowers; and Texas lantana, a prickly shrub 1 to 2 m (3 to 6 ft) high with flowers that change from yellow to orange as they mature.

Scientific classification: Lantanas belong to the verbena family, Verbenaceae. Yellow sage is classified as Lantana camara, weeping lantana as Lantana montevidensis. Texas lantana is classified as Lantana horrida because of the disagreeable odor of the crushed leaves.

Violet Family

Violet (plant), common name for a medium-size family of flowering plants, and for its representative genus. The family contains about 830 species of herbs, shrubs, and even some woody vines and trees, almost half of which are in the predominantly herbaceous representative genus. Natural species and hybrids of violets are widely grown. Wild species, often called heartsease, are grown for their color, fragrance, and interesting flower shapes and coloration patterns. Most have very short stems, and the leaves appear to emerge directly from the ground; some, however, such as the Johnny-jump-up, have elongated stems. Violets are easily hybridized, and many hundreds of types have been developed. These are usually called pansies and are favorite early spring flowers.

The violet family belongs to an order having 24 families and about 5000 species. Usually, leaves are alternate and have stipules (leaflike appendages) at their bases. The stipules of violets are easily examined by spreading the leaf bases. Other important families in the order include the begonia, the gourd, the passionflower, and a family of some 875 tropical shrubs and trees. Some plants commonly called violets belong to other, unrelated groups of plants. For example, the African violet and the dogtooth violet belong to two unrelated families.

Scientific classification: Violets make up the family Violaceae in the order Violales. The representative genus of the family is Viola. The papaya belongs to the family Caricaceae and is classified as Carica papaya. The annatto belongs to the family Bixaceae and is classified as Bixa orellana. African violets make up the genus Saintpaulia of the family Gesneriaceae. The dogtooth violet belongs to the family Liliaceae and is classified as Erythronium albidum.

Wisteria, genus of woody, climbing plants of the legume family. About a half-dozen species are cultivated. The best-known wisterias are the Chinese, the Japanese, and the American. Wisterias are commonly planted for training over trellises, doorways, or porches and bear showy hanging clusters of pealike blue or violet flowers. These plants may in time produce branches long enough to reach across a large house and as thick as an adult's arm. The leaves are compound, with 7 to 19 leaflets. The fruit is an elongate pod. Children have been poisoned by eating the seeds or pods of wisterias. Symptoms include repeated vomiting with abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Scientific classification: Wisterias are members of the subfamily Papilionoideae, family Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae). The Chinese wisteria is classified as Wisteria sinensis, the Japanese as Wisteria floribunda, and the American as Wisteria frutescens.

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Types of Vines

Legume Family

Legume Family
Derris, common name for any one of about 40 species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines native to the tropics and subtropics of Eurasia, members of the legume family. Derris has compound leaves (leaves composed of leaflets arranged along a stem) with an odd number of leaflets. The pealike flowers can be white, yellow, pink, or purple, and are usually clustered. The flowers develop into flat, leathery fruit pods, which release their seeds by rotting rather than splitting open when they hit the ground. The common name is derived from deros, the Greek word for a leathery covering, and refers to the fruit pods.

Scientific classification: Derris species are members of the subfamily Papilionoideae, family Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae). The Malay jewel vine is classified as Derris scandens, and the derris root as Derris elliptica.

Sweet Pea, common name for a colorful, often fragrant flowering herb that has been popular in gardens for centuries, member of the pea or legume family. Most cultivated varieties, or cultivars, of sweet pea are climbing vines, although the dwarf sweet pea varieties are compact, bushy, and nonclimbing. Sweet pea is native to Italy and grows well in full sun and a deep, fertile soil. Intensive plant breeding programs in the 20th century have produced heat-resistant cultivars, increasing the length of sweet pea’s growing season.

Scientific classification: Sweet pea belongs to the subfamily Papilionoideae, family Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae). The scientific name for sweet pea is Lathyrus odoratus. The species name comes from the pleasant fragrance of the flowers.

Lily Family
Lily
The yam family is a medium-size tropical and subtropical group with 8 genera and about 630 species. Most are weak-stemmed vines with large, underground food-storage organs—tubers or rhizomes. Yams are edible tubers of several cultivated species of the family's representative genus. Sweet potatoes are called yams in the southern United States but are unrelated to true yams (see Morning Glory).

Scientific classification: Lily is the common name for the family Liliaceae, of the order Liliales. The onion genus is Allium. Onions and shallots are produced from the species classified as Allium cepa. Garlic is classified as Allium sativum, chives as Allium schoenoprasum, and leeks as Allium porrum. Asparagus is classified as Asparagus officinalis and asparagus fern as Asparagus setaceus. The aloe genus is Aloe. The water hyacinth belongs to the family Pontederiaceae and is classified as Eichhornia crassipes. Sisal hemp, from the species classified as Agave sisalana; true hemp, from the species classified as Cannabis sativa; the Joshua tree, classified as Yucca brevifolia; and the century plant, classified as Agave americana; all belong to the family Agavaceae. The carrion flower, classified as Smilax herbacea, and the greenbrier, classified as Smilax rotundifolia, belong to the family Smilacaceae. The sweet potato belongs to the family Convolvulaceae and is classified as Ipomoea batatas.

see also: water lily

Melon (fruit), common name for any one of numerous varieties of sweet fruits of the gourd family, that grow on two species of trailing vines. One vine bears muskmelons, winter melons, and the European cantaloupe. The other bears the watermelons.

Muskmelons have a soft, ribbed rind with distinct netting, salmon-colored pulp, and a musky aroma. They are the most perishable of the melons and are particularly popular in North America, where they are also called cantaloupes, a misnomer taken from the quite distinct European cantaloupe.

Winter melons—of which the honeydew, Persian, casaba, and Crenshaw are best known—are less aromatic than muskmelons, take more time to mature, and have harder rinds that preserve them well after the growing season. The honeydew has a smooth rind with green pulp; the Persian has a dark rind with orange pulp; the casaba has a yellow, wrinkled rind with green or white pulp; and the Crenshaw has a dark green, wrinkled rind with pink pulp.

Scientific classification: Melons belong to the family Cucurbitaceae. Muskmelons, winter melons, and European cantaloupes grow on the vine classified as Cucumis melo. Muskmelons are derived from Cucumis melo variety reticulatus. Winter melons are derived from Cucumis melo variety inodorus. The true cantaloupe is classified as Cucumis melo variety cantalupensis. Watermelons grow on the vine classified as Citrullus lanatus.

Morning Glory Family
Sweet Potato, common name applied to a perennial, trailing herb of the morning glory family. The plant, which is native to tropical America, is cultivated on sandy or loamy soils throughout many warm regions of the world, and exists as an important food staple in the southern United States. It is planted primarily for its thick, edible roots, called sweet potatoes. Two main types are commonly cultivated: a dry, mealy type, and a soft, light-to-deep-yellow, moist-fleshed type. The species often called wild sweet-potato vine, manroot, or man-of-the-earth is not edible, but it is frequently cultivated as an ornamental vine in the eastern United States.

The sweet potato yields an important starch, which is used commercially for sizing textiles and papers, for the manufacture of adhesives, and in laundries. In the United States, large quantities of sweet potatoes, either freshly harvested or shredded and dried, are used as feed for livestock. See also Yam.

Scientific classification: The sweet potato belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. It is classified as Ipomoea batatas. The species called wild sweet-potato vine, manroot, or man-of-the-earth is classified as Ipomoea pandurata.

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Types of Vines

Grapevines

Grapevines are stems that climb on walls and fences by means of specialized supporting organs, called tendrils. Palmately veined leaves arise alternately along the stem. In most varieties, tendrils arise opposite two of every three successive leaves. Flowers, usually greenish, are borne in clusters and have staminate and pistillate flowers sometimes occurring on separate plants. Fruit is borne on 2-year-old canes, which are removed after harvesting the grapes.

Grapes are attacked by a great number of insect pests and plant diseases, of which the most common are black rot and downy mildew. See Diseases of Plants.

Scientific classification: Grapes belong to the family Vitaceae. The European grape is classified as Vitis vinifera, the northern fox grape as Vitis labrusca, the summer grape as Vitis aestivalis, the riverbank grape as Vitis riparia, and the muscadine grape as Vitis rotundifolia.

Gymnosperms - (Latin gymn-, “naked”; Greek sperma, “seed”), common name for any seed-bearing vascular plant without flowers. There are several types: the cycad, ginkgo, conifer, yew, and gnetophyte. Gymnosperms are woody plants, either shrubs, trees, or, rarely, vines (some gnetophytes). They differ from the other phylum of seed plants,-->> read more

Health Family
Cranberry, common name for several species of low vines of a genus of the heath family, and for their small, sour, seedy fruit. The plants, which belong to the same genus as the blueberry, have drooping, pink flowers and small, thick, evergreen leaves. The small, or European, cranberry grows wild in marshlands of temperate and colder regions of Europe and North America. The large, or American, cranberry is cultivated in the northeastern United States in sand-covered bogs that can be flooded or drained at will. Flooding protects the vines from frosts and freezing weather and destroys insect pests. Most of the cranberry crop produced in the United States each year is canned as sauce or jelly or bottled as juice. The cowberry, or mountain cranberry, is common in both Europe and North America. It is gathered and sold in considerable quantity but is rarely cultivated. The highbush cranberry, with its clusters of white flowers followed by red berries, is a shrub of the honeysuckle family. Its fruit is sometimes used as a substitute for cranberries.

Scientific classification: Cranberries belong to the genus Vaccinium of the family Ericaceae. The small, or European, cranberry is classifed as Vaccinium oxycoccos; the large, or American, cranberry as Vaccinium macrocarpon; and the cowberry, or mountain cranberry, as Vaccinium vitis-idaea. The highbush cranberry belongs to the family Caprifoliaceae and is classified as Viburnum opulus.

Honeysuckle Family
Honeysuckle, common name for a plant family and for its representative genus. The family contains about 400 species of dicot flowering plants (see Dicots), including many ornamentals. It occurs mainly in the North Temperate Zone, particularly in China, but it also extends into tropical mountains. Its members are mostly shrubs or small trees, although some familiar members are herbaceous—for example, elderberry and some species of honeysuckle, such as Japanese honeysuckle. The leaves are opposite one another on the branch and lack stipules (leafy appendages at the leaf base); the calyx and corolla (floral whorls) have fused parts and arise from above the ovary (female flower part); and usually five stamens are borne on the inside of the corolla tube. The fruit is usually a berry.

Scientific classification: Honeysuckles make up the family Caprifoliaceae. The representative genus is Lonicera. The Japanese honeysuckle is classified as Lonicera japonica and the trumpet honeysuckle as Lonicera sempervirens.

Hop, common name for any of a genus of vines (see Nettle). Hop plants have rough stems and heart-shaped leaves of three to seven lobes. Small staminate and pistillate flowers are produced on separate plants. Staminate flowers are borne in loose panicles, and pistillate flowers, borne in catkins, develop into achenes—dry, one-seeded fruits that are borne at the bases of overlapping bracts. The entire conelike catkin of achenes and bracts, the hop of commerce, is covered with a fine yellow powder called lupulin or hop flour. Lupulin, which gives the hop its bitter flavor and aroma, is used as a sedative. The common hop is native to Eurasia and is naturalized in the northern and western United States, Australia, and Brazil. The American hop is native to temperate North America. Several unrelated plants are commonly called hop, including bryony and black medick. The so-called hop plant is sweet marjoram.

Scientific classification: Hop plants constitute the genus Humulus, of the family Moraceae. The common hop is classified as Humulus lupulus, the American hop as humulus lupulus variety lupuloides.

Hydrangea, common name for certain deciduous and evergreen shrubs and woody vines. Hydrangeas are native to Asia and the Americas. The flowers are borne in clusters, the outermost flowers of which consist of a colored, membranous envelope, but the inner flowers of which have an eight- to ten-ribbed, tubular envelope, four or five ovate petals, eight to ten slender stamens, and a two-celled pistil. The fruit is a many-seeded capsule. The wild hydrangea of the eastern United States is an erect shrub that grows up to 3 m (up to 10 ft) high and bears white flowers in round clusters. The showier hydrangeas are cultivated Asian species, such as a typical cultivar of the hortensia, which grows up to 3.6 m (up to 12 ft) high; has broad, thick, shining leaves; and produces white, blue, or pink, flowers in round or flat clusters. The mock orange, a separate genus of the same family, also produces showy white flowers.

Scientific classification: The genus Hydrangea belongs to the family Saxifragaceae. The wild hydrangea is classified as Hydrangea arborescens and the typical cultivar of the hortensia as Hydrangea macrophylla cultivar hortensia.

Kiwi Fruit, common name for a southeast-Asian vine, also called Chinese gooseberry and yangtao, and for its edible fruit. The small, oval fruit has a thin brownish-green skin with a fuzzy surface. The flesh, which is a distinctive green, with tiny purplish seeds surrounding a white core, may be eaten raw or cooked.

Scientific classification: Kiwi fruit belongs to the family Actinidiaceae. It is classified as Actinidia chinensis.

Kudzu, common name of a vine native to China and Japan. The plant is a coarse-growing perennial with large trifoliate leaves having coarsely lobed leaflets. The flowers, borne on long racemes, are large and purple. The fruit is a flat, papery pod covered with a tawny down. Kudzu plants are grown from root cuttings. They produce long, lateral runners that generate roots at intervals.

Scientific classification: Kudzu belongs to the subfamily Papilionoideae, family Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae). It is classified as Pueraria lobata.

Laurel Family
Laurel (plant), common name for a flowering plant family, widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, and for its representative genus. The laurel family contains between 30 and 50 genera and at least 2000 species. Several well-known and important genera of the family also occur in temperate areas, for example, camphor, cinnamon, avocado, and spice-bush. The laurel, or bay, also called bay laurel and bayberry, is a large evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean region; it has been important since classical times and is now widely cultivated in warm temperate areas as an ornamental and for its aromatic leaves, which are used in cooking. California bay yields a valuable wood.

Scientific classification: Laurel is the common name for the family Lauraceae of the order Laurales. The laurel, or bay, is classified as Laurus nobilis and the California bay as Umbilicus californica.

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Types of Vines

Gourd Family

Cucumber, common name for a trailing or climbing annual herb of the gourd family. Native to Asia, it is widely cultivated in North America and Europe for the immature fruit, which resembles a long, green cylinder. The fruit is picked at various stages of development and is usually eaten raw or pickled. Small cucumbers, picked when they are 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 in) long, are known as gherkins. Different varieties of cucumbers vary in length from about 10 to 76 cm (about 4 to 30 in). If the cucumber is allowed to mature, the fruit bulges in the middle, changes in color from green to yellow, and is not fit to eat.

Scientific classification: The cucumber belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. It is classified as Cucumis sativus.

Gourd, common name for a family of plants consisting of characteristically rapid-growing vines with palmately lobed leaves, helically twisted tendrils, and often showy, unisexual flowers. The family contains about 760 species that are distributed mainly in the subtropical and tropical regions of the world. It is of importance as a source of food for humans, mostly as squashes and melons; it also provides fiber and ornamental plants.

Scientific classification: Gourds constitute the family Cucurbitaceae in the order Violales. The bottle gourd, or calabash, is classified as Lagernaria siceraria. Winter squashes are classified in the genus Cucurbita. The cucumber is classified as Cucumis sativus, the cantaloupe as Cucumis melo.

Pumpkin, one of the common names for a genus of flowering plants that are characteristically spreading vines with showy yellow-orange flowers, large lobed leaves, and long twisting tendrils. The pumpkin genus is native to warmer parts of America and is an economically important member of the gourd family.

Scientific classification: Pumpkins make up the genus Cucurbita of the family Cucurbitaceae. The four different species of the genus producing pumpkins, squash, and some kinds of gourd are classified as Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita moschata, and Cucurbita pepo. Summer squash is from Cucurbita pepo.

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Types of Vines

Composite Flower Family

Composite Flower Family
Groundsel, common name for one of the largest categories of flowering plants. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 species of groundsels are distributed throughout the world. Member of the large composite flowers family, the groundsel group is diverse as well as large; it includes vines, shrubs, and herbs adapted to both wet and dry regions. Ancient Greek and Arab physicians used the leaves of many groundsels to draw fluids from wounds; the name groundsel comes from the Anglo-Saxon gundeswelge, which means “pus absorber.”

Scientific classification: The groundsels belong to the family Asteraceae (formerly Compositae). The candle plant is classified as Senecio articulatus, dusty miller as Senecio cineraria, golden ragwort as Senecio aureus, and common groundsel as Senecio vulgaris.

Ironweed, common name for any of approximately 750 species of perennial plants (plants that live at least three years) that include trees, shrubs, climbing woody vines, and herbs (plants with soft, non-woody stems), members of the composite flowers family. Ironweed is named for its normally stiff, hard stem. They are native to the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Most grow in tropical regions, although some are found in the temperate zones. Ironweeds are easily cultivated in fertile soil and may be grown as garden plants, especially in informal or wildflower gardens.

Scientific classification: Ironweeds make up the genus Vernonia, named for 17th century botanist William Vernon, and belong to the family Asteraceae (formerly Compositae). Tall ironweed is classified as Vernonia altissima, western ironweed as Vernonia baldwinii, and New York ironweed as Vernonia noveboracensis.

Figwort Family
Bignonia, common name for a medium-sized family of mostly tropical woody climbers, and for the only member of its representative genus, the cross vine. The showy flowers of the bignonias exhibit many features of the order to which the family belongs (see Figwort). The tubular calyx (group of fused sepals) has five lobes, and the corolla (group of fused petals) is funnel-shaped with two or four stamens attached to the inside surface. The long, tubular flowers show adaptations to pollination by a variety of flying animals, including insects, birds, and bats, although each species is usually visited by one or a few specific pollinators.

Scientific classification: Bignonias make up the family Bignoniaceae of the order Scrophulariales. The cross vine is classified as Bignonia capreolata and the calabash tree as Crescentia cujete. Jacarandas are classified in the genus Jacaranda. The sausage tree is classified as Kigelia pinnata. Trumpet vines are classified in the genus Campsis and catalpas in the genus Catalpa. The desert willow is classified as Chilopsis linearis.

Ginseng Family
Ivy, common name for any of a genus of woody vines of the ginseng family. The genus is native to temperate regions of the eastern hemisphere. Ivy plants produce two kinds of leaves during the climbing phase. The leaves have three to five distinct lobes, but during the flowering stage they usually have three indistinct lobes or may even be lobeless. The flowers, borne in terminal umbels, have a five-parted calyx, five-parted corolla, five stamens, and a single pistil. The fruit is a smooth berry that contains a poisonous glucoside. The plant's adventitious rootlets attach to trees or bare walls.

Ground ivy is a small, creeping member of the mint family. Poison ivy (see Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac) belongs to the cashew family.

Scientific classification: Ivies make up the genus Hedera of the family Araliaceae. English ivy is classified as Hedera helix; African ivy, or Algerian ivy, as Hedera canariensis; and Asian ivy as Hedera colchica. American ivy, classified as Parthenocissus quinquefolia, and Boston ivy, classified as Parthenocissus tricuspidata, belong to the family Vitaceae. Ground ivy belongs to the family Lamiaceae (formerly Labiatae) and is classified as Glechoma hederacea. Poison ivy belongs to the family Anacardaceae and is classified as Toxicodendron radicans.

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Types of Vines

Betel, common name for a vine (see Pepper), and for its leaves. In tropical Asia and the East Indies the leaves, together with a little quicklime, are used to wrap the seed kernel (called betel nut or areca nut) of the betel palm. The chewing of this preparation (also called betel) stains the saliva bright red and eventually darkens the teeth. An alkaloid in the nut acts as a stimulant and a tonic.

Scientific classification: The betel belongs to the family Piperaceae. It is classified as Piper betle. The betel palm belongs to the family Arecaceae (formerly Palmae) and is classified as Areca catechu.


Bignonia Family
Trumpet Vine, also trumpet creeper, trumpet flower, or trumpet honeysuckle, common name for either of two species of woody vines with brilliant trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom in summer. The common trumpet vine, a hardy plant that can survive temperatures as low as -34° C (-29° F), is native to North America and the Chinese trumpet vine is native to Asia.

Scientific classification: Trumpet vines belong to the bignonia family, Bignoniaceae. The common trumpet vine is classified as Campsis radicans (formerly Bignonia radicans) and the Chinese trumpet vine as Campsis grandiflora.

Birthwort, common name for a small family of flowering plants that are usually woody vines with medium to large, luridly colored, ill-smelling flowers. The family contains 7 genera and about 400 species, most of which occur in the Tropics, although some are found in temperate areas. The family is of little economic importance, although local medicinal use occurs; some members are grown only as curiosities.

Scientific classification: Birthwort is the common name for the family Aristolochiaceae. Dutchman's pipe, or pipevine, is classified as Aristolochia durior, pelican flower as Aristolochia grandiflora, and wild ginger as Asarum canadense.


Bittersweets

Celastrus scandens, also known as American bittersweet, belongs to a family of woody shrubs with climbing, twining vines and is grown for a variety of ornamental and practical uses. The plant's yellow flowers contain stunning, crimson-covered seeds. Certain species of bittersweet produce a fine-grained wood suitable for carving, while others provide tea, vegetable oils, dyes, and extracts for medicines.

Staff Tree, common name for a dicot (see Dicots) order comprising 12 families and about 2000 species of mostly tropical and subtropical trees, shrubs, and woody vines, and for some members of its typical genus (see Bittersweet). See also Holly.

Scientific classification: Staff trees make up the order Celastrales. The typical genus is Celastrus.

Bougainvillea, common name for flowering woody vines (see Four o'Clock), native to South America, and cultivated in the southern United States. Named for the French navigator Louis de Bougainville, the group includes about 13 species, several of which are widely cultivated as porch and arbor ornaments in warm climates and as hothouse plants in cool climates. The plant has small, inconspicuous flowers that are usually enclosed by three large showy bracts, or modified leaves; the bracts may be purple, red, orange, or white. The larger species grow to about 5 m (about 16 ft).

Scientific classification: Bougainvillea make up the genus Bougainvillea, of the family Nyctaginaceae.


Buckthorn Family
Buckthorn, common name for a family comprising about 875 species, in 53 genera, of mostly trees and shrubs, although some are climbers. The family is cosmopolitan in distribution. Many species exhibit adaptations to dry habitats, including small, crowded leaves; thorns and spines; and short branches. In addition to ornamentals, the family is important as a source of some medicines (see Cascara Sagrada). It is also an important source of natural green and yellow dyes and fruits (from the lotus tree, or jujube). The common buckthorn, sometimes cultivated in shrub borders, has large spines; small, oval leaves; and small white flower clusters. Its blue-black, pea-size berries are cathartic.

Scientific classification: Buckthorns make up the family Rhamnaceae, of the order Rhamnales. The common buckthorn is classified as Rhamnus cathartica. Two other families of the order are Vitaceae, containing the genera Vitis and Parthenocissus, and Leeaceae, containing the genus Leea.


Buckwheat Family
Smartweed, common name for a group of hardy, fast growing garden herbs widely distributed throughout northern temperate regions such as Europe and North America. The name comes from the acrid taste of the leaves, which stings the tongue and causes livestock to avoid the plants. Most smartweeds are perennials (plants that live for at least three years), some are woody vines, and a few are annuals (plants that live for only one year).

Scientific classification: Smartweeds are members of the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae. Mountain fleece is classified as Polygonum amplexicaule, Snakeweed as Polygonum bisorta, lace vine as Polygonum aubertii, and kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate as Polygonum orientale. Knotweed is classified as Polygonum aviculare, Pennsylvania smartweed as Polygonum pennsylvanicum, and wild buckwheat as Polygonum convolvulus. The botanical genus name, Polygonum, means “many knees” and refers to the swollen, bent nodes where the leaves join the stem.


Buttercup Family
Clematis, genus of plants of the buttercup family, having four or five sepals, no corolla, and numerous one-seeded fruits with long, feathery bristles. The species are numerous, consisting of herbs or shrubs with climbing stems; they are scattered over the temperate countries of the world and are fairly caustic. Many of the varieties are perennial vines, popular for covering fences and arbors. Woodbine and another species are small, white-flowered forms. Other species bear flowers attaining a diameter of up to 20 cm (up to 8 in) and ranging from white to blue or red. Several shrubby, herbaceous, nonclimbing forms are also cultivated.

Scientific classification: The genus Clematis belongs to the family Ranunculaceae. Woodbine is classified as Clematis virginiana, and the other species with small white flowers as Clematis paniculata.


Caper, common name for a family of herbs, trees, and some vines. The family contains about 45 genera and 800 species, which occur in tropical and subtropical areas, especially Africa and the Mediterranean region. Flowers are usually irregular, and some are showy. Although the number and arrangement of the flower parts are variable, the ovary (female flower part) is characteristically borne on a gynophore, an elongation of the floral tissue between the stamens and ovary, resulting in a distinctive stalked appearance of the mature ovary and fruit. The spider flower, a well-known garden annual, is a member of this family. The capers that are used as a seasoning or condiment are the pickled, unopened buds of the caper bush, a spiny shrub native to dry, rocky areas in the Mediterranean.

Scientific classification: Capers make up the family Capparaceae. The spider flower is classified as Cleome hassleriana. The caper bush is classified as Capparis spinosa.


Carrion Flower, common name for any of several related cactuslike desert herbs with flowers that have a putrid odor. The term is also used for a greenbrier climbing vine with flowers that smell like carrion.

Scientific classification: Carrion flowers make up the genus Stapelia of the family Asclepiadaceae. The greenbrier climbing vine belongs to the family Liliaceae. It is classified as Smilax herbacea.


Cinnamon Vines:
Yam
The water yam is a Southeast Asia species that is commonly cultivated. The Chinese yam, or Chinese potato, also known as cinnamon vine, is cultivated in the northern United States as an ornamental climbing vine; its thick tubers reach a length of about 1 m (about 3 ft). The air potato is native to South Asia; it bears white flowers and aerial tubers that attain a weight of several kilograms. The wild yam, native to the eastern United States, has rootstocks that are not enlarged. Yams are rarely cultivated in the United States; the few species grown are limited to Florida and several neighboring states. The name yam is commonly but incorrectly applied to varieties of the genus containing the sweet potatoes (see Sweet Potato).

Scientific classification: Yams make up the genus Dioscorea of the family Dioscoreaceae. The water yam is classified as Dioscorea alata; the Chinese yam, or Chinese potato, as Dioscorea batatas; the air potato as Dioscorea bulbifera; and the wild yam as Dioscorea villosa.

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Snakeweed

Snakeweed, or European bisort, also does well in bog gardens, and is commonly grown in Europe. It is 45 to 75 cm (18 to 30 in) tall and has leaves 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) long, with a prominent white vein down the middle of each. The pink flowers are arranged on a long stem and form a cylindrical spike. Lace vine is a climbing vine with fragrant, white, threadlike flowers arranged in loose clusters that resemble lace. It grows rapidly, even in poor soil, and can become a weed if not cut back.

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