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Parthenocissus henryana (Hemsl.) Diels & Gilg

Modern name

Parthenocissus henryana (Hemsl.) Graebn. ex Diels & Gilg

Synonyms

Vitis henryana Hemsl.; Psedera henryana (Hemsl.) Schneid.

A vigorous deciduous climber, with sharply four-angled stems free from down; tendrils forked, ending in disks by which it adheres to flat surfaces. Leaves composed of three to five leaflets borne on a stalk 112 to 412 in. long. Leaflets obovate, oblanceolate, or narrowly oval, slender-pointed, tapered at the base to a short stalk, coarsely toothed except near the base, 112 to 5 in. long, one-third to one-half as wide, dark velvety green, variegated with silvery white and pink along the midrib and primary veins, which are slightly downy beneath. The green part turns red in autumn. Inflorescence a terminal leafy panicle of cymes up to 6 or 7 in. long.

Native of Central China; discovered by Henry about 1885; introduced by Wilson for Messrs Veitch in 1900. It is a remarkably handsome vine closely allied to the true Virginia creeper, and having the same power of attaching itself to walls, etc., by means of its adhesive disk-tipped tendrils. It thrives quite well against a wall or where it gets a little shelter, but fully exposed in the open it is not quite hardy. Its variegation is better defined on a north-west or even north wall, than when the plant is fully exposed to the sun.


Genus

Parthenocissus

Other species in the genus