Ivy is the common name for woody vines of the genusHedera , of the family Araliaceae, commonly found growing on woodland trees without harming them, where it provides an important source of winter food for birds. The genus is native to temperate regions of the eastern hemisphere. Ivy plants produce two kinds of leaves during the climbing phase. The leaves have three to five distinct lobes, but during the flowering stage they usually have three indistinct lobes or may even be lobeless. The flowers, borne in terminal umbels, have a five-parted calyx, five-parted corolla, five stamens, and a single pistil. The fruit is a smooth berry that contains a poisonous glucoside. The plant's adventitious rootlets attach to trees or bare walls.
The English ivy, Hederahelix , is commonly cultivated in Europe and North America in gardens where it is trained to cover masonry walls of buildings. It has small leaves that are usually dark green. The African ivy, or Algerian ivy, Hedera canariensis , native to the coast and islands of north-western Africa, produces large, pale-green, lobed leaves.
The Asian ivy, Hedera colchica , bears dark-green leaves that are usually faintly lobed or entirely lobeless. Easily cultivable from cuttings, ivy protects the walls on which it is grown from the corrosive effects of weathering. Ivy has no destructive effect on stone or brick walls except when rootlets are established in fissures. Several plants of the grape family, Vitaceae, are commonly called ivy.
The American ivy, or Virginiacreeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia , and the Boston ivy, or Japanese ivy, Parthenocissus tricuspidata , are shrubby climbers that cling to tendrils. American ivy has long-petioled leaves composed of five leaflets; Boston ivy has three-lobed leaves. Both species grow readily from cuttings.
Ground ivy is a small, creeping member of the mint family, Lamiaceae. Toxicodendron radicans , known as poison ivy, belongs to the cashew family, Anacardiaceae.
In chemistry the suffix -ide is used to denote: (a) The non-metallic, or negative, element or radical in a binary compound; such as, oxide, sulphide or chloride. (b) A compound which is an anhydride; such as, glycolide or phthalide. (c) Any one of a series of derivatives; such as, indogenide, glucoside, etc. Research -ide
The glucosides are a group of carbon compounds occurring in plants, and characterised by the fact that on hydrolysis or saponification with dilute acids a sugar, usually glucose, is formed along with other products. Research Glucoside
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research -ide
