Flora of New Zealand Series

potato vine

Unarmed, high climbing liane, glabrate or glabrous; stems to c. 15 m long. Petioles to nearly 3 cm long, slender, twining. Lamina 2-6 × 0.7-3 cm, lanceolate to ovate, sometimes with 1-2 lobes or leaflets at base, otherwise entire, often with tufts of white hairs in vein axils below; base broad-cuneate to truncate; apex obtuse or subacute. Fls several to many, in loose, terminal (later apparently lateral) panicles; rachis to c. 6 cm long; peduncles and pedicels filiform, ± spreading. Calyx 2-3 mm long, glabrous except sometimes for ciliate margin; lobes broad and shallow, slightly accrescent. Corolla 2-3.3 cm diam., white, or very pale mauvish blue, especially in bud, puberulent; lobes triangular-ovate, remaining incurved. Anthers 2.5-4 mm long. Berry 4-6 mm diam., globose, shining, deep to dark blue or nearly black; stone cells 0. Seed c. 1 mm diam., broad- or ellipsoid-obovoid.

N.: N. Auckland (Whangaroa Harbour), Auckland, Waipu, near Rotorua and scattered localities further south; S.: from N.W. Nelson (Pohara) to N. Otago, occasional.

S. Brazil 1958

Scrub, forest margins in the vicinity of original sites of cultivation, occasional among stream-side willows at some distance from cultivated areas.

FL Jan-Dec.

Potato vine is common in cultivation. The fr. is probably not commonly produced in N.Z. and some of its spread is almost certainly vegetative.