Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Simple, deciduous
Shape
Cordate to orbicular with shallow to moderate lobing
Margin
Coarsely dentate to serrate
Arrangement
Alternate with a slender petiole
Venation
Palmate venation with prominent raised veins beneath
Key Features
Orbicular to cordate leaf blade, coarsely toothed margins, and distinct palmate venation originating from a deeply cordate base
Description
A woody deciduous vine climbing via tendrils with furrowed gray bark and producing clusters of rounded fleshy fruits that ripen to dark purple or bronze
Habitat
Thickets, bottomland forests, and woodland edges in moist to well-drained soils
Native Range
Native to the southeastern and south-central United States, widely distributed across the coastal plains and piedmont
Notes
Found in Sumter, South Carolina
Identified on 10/18/2026