A vigorous, deciduous climber, with rarely branching tendrils, young shoots at first flossy, then glabrous. Leaves very variable, 3 to 6 in. long, 21⁄2 to 5 in. wide, three-lobed with a heart-shaped base, or composed of three or five taper-based leaflets, the middle one of which is stalked and oval or obovate, the side ones or at least the lower pair obliquely ovate and stalkless. The merely lobed leaves differ much in the depth of the lobes, which are sometimes little more than large triangular teeth, but showing every intermediate condition between that and the tri- or quinque-foliolate ones. The margins are sharply toothed, the upper surface dark green, downy on the veins, the lower surface more or less brown-felted; stalks purplish, half to two-thirds as long as the blade. Fruits black-purple, globose, 1⁄3 in. wide, in slender, sometimes forked branches 4 or 5 in. long. Bot. Mag., t. 9565.
Native of western and central China; introduced by Wilson in 1900. It was at first known as V. sinensis and received an Award of Merit when exhibited under that name by Messrs Veitch in 1903. It is remarkably variable in the shape of its leaves. Those at the base of the shoot are simple but higher they become progressively more lobed, eventually becoming palmately compound at the apex of the growth. The leaves are tinted when young and colour red or bronze before falling.
var. pagnuccii (Romanet du Caillaud) Rehd. V. pagnuccii R. du Caillaud – This differs only in having more glabrous shoots and leaves. It was introduced to Kew in 1899, but it had previously been cultivated in France. It has the same garden value as the type.
V. betulifolia Diels & Gilg – Similar to V. piasezkii, but with always simple leaves (sometimes slightly lobed), mostly ovate and up to 4 in. long, almost glabrous beneath when mature. Fruits blue-black, with a slight bloom. Native of Central and Western China. Although Wilson collected specimens during his expeditions for Messrs Veitch he apparently first sent seeds to the Arnold Arboretum, in 1907-8 and again in 1911. It received an Award of Merit when exhibited in 1917 by Mrs Berkeley of Spetchley Park, both for its fruits and for its autumn colour. Mrs Berkeley was the sister of the more renowned Miss Ellen Willmott, but was herself a talented gardener.