Hedera L.
Woody climbers, often becoming arborescent at maturity, the scandent stage with numerous aerial rootlets. Lvs alternate, petiolate, simple, palmately lobed or not lobed, exstipulate; lf form usually differing between flowering and non-flowering shoots. Umbels solitary or in terminal racemes; bracts minute or 0; calyx entire or 5-toothed; petals 5, greenish; stamens 5; ovary 5-locular; styles connate into a cone with stigmas sessile at apex. Fr. subglobose, berry-like.
Key
1
Young shoots, petioles and infl. with (3)-6-10-rayed stellate hairs, or with stellate hairs and 12-16-(20)-rayed scale-like hairs, the lvs usually variegated and shoots and petioles burgundy red in shoots with scale-like hairs; lvs of non-flowering shoots usually 3-5-lobed
Young shoots, petioles and infl. with (18)-20-30-rayed scale-like hairs only; petioles and shoots green; lvs of non-flowering shoots not variegated, usually not lobed or very slightly lobed
c. 15 spp., Europe, N. Africa, tropical and subtropical Asia. Naturalised spp. 2.
