VITACEAE 199 



The variableness of its characteristics has given rise to the 

 naming of several varieties, of which the following are authen- 

 tically reported in Illinois. Variety Saint-Paulii (Graebner) 

 Rehder, w^hich is distinguished by branchlets sometimes pro- 

 ducing aerial roots, by tendrils having 8 to 10 branches, and 

 by oblong-obovate leaflets cuneate at the base, short stalked, 

 pubescent above, doubly serrate w^ith usually flaring teeth, and 

 elongated panicles, occurs in St. Clair County and also near 

 Mascoutah and Peoria. Variety hirsuta (Pursh) Planchon, 

 which has branchlets, tendrils, petioles and leaves pubescent 

 at least while young, has been reported in the southeast corner 

 of the state, in Pope County. 



PARTHENOCISSUS INSERTA (Kerner) K. Fritsch 

 Virginia Creeper Thicket Creeper 



This Virginia Creeper, fig. 50, is usually a low and rambling 

 vine with stems 15 to 60 feet long, which climbs over bushes 

 and is rarely high climbing. The branchlets are smooth, and 

 the tendrils, which are also smooth and lack disks, usually have 

 1 to 4 branches. There normally are 5 leaflets per leaf, which 

 are ovate to obovate, acute or acuminate at the apex, and wedge 

 shaped or narrowed at the base. The margin is coarsely toothed, 

 except that the base usually is entire. The leaf blade is lustrous 

 and smooth above and beneath, except that the veins are some- 

 what hairy near the base of the leaflet. The lower leaflets are 

 small and asymmetrical, and the terminal is slightly the largest 

 and symmetrical, measuring as much as 6 inches long by 2 to 

 2l/^ inches wide. The leaflets are nearly sessile or shortly stalked, 

 and the smooth petioles on which they stand may be 6 to 7 inches 

 long. 



The flowers, which appear from about the middle of June 

 to the middle of July, are arranged in panicles somewhat longer 

 than the petiole of the leaf opposite which they stand. The 

 panicles are dichotomously branched, and the divisions end in 

 clusters of 10 to 20 flowers. The blue-black fruit, which ma- 

 tures about the last of August and later, is lightly covered with 

 white bloom, nearly globose, and about ]/^ inch in diameter. 

 It contains 1 to 4 seeds. 



Distribution. — This Virginia Creeper is an inhabitant of 

 thickets in woody regions and ranges from eastern Canada to 



