Common Ivy is an evergreen woody climber with
distinct juvenile and mature leaves. The juvenile stage usually has
lobed leaves and rooting stems, and the mature stage has rootless,
flowering shoots with unlobed leaves. Stems are purple-green. Juvenile
leaves are dark green, leathery, 3-5-lobed, the two basal lobes are
reduced in size to give the typical ivy-leaf shape. Leaves are dotted
with white, star-shaped hairs. Adult leaves are unlobed, markedly
narrower on shoots exposed to light. Flowers are borne in spherical
clusters, each held on a flower-cluster-stalk, with a proteinaceous
scent. Flowers, small greenish-yellow, are very rich in nectar, an
important food source for bees and other insects. Fruits are
yellow-orange to black berries, up to 6-8 mm in diameter, each
containing five seeds. Common Ivy is native to Europe, and is
cultivated in colder parts of India.
Identification credit: Tabish
Photographed in Gangtok, Sikkim.
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The flower labeled Common Ivy is ...