WorldFloraDB - Bryonia alba

Characteristics

Vines monoecious, high-climbing or forming dense mats over vegetation, <to 7 m>. Leaves: petiole 1.5–3.5 cm; blade hastate to 5-angular, palmately 3–5-lobed, 3–8(–15) × 2–6(–8) cm, lobes ovate to deltate or triangular, central lobe largest, base deeply cordate, margins coarsely dentate to remotely dentate or serrate, surfaces hispidulous to scabrous or pustulate, not white-sericeous abaxially. Flowers: calyx campanulate; sepals <recurving>, whitish, green-veined, lanceolate, 3.5–5 mm; petals yellowish to greenish white, oblong-ovate, 3–7 mm; stigmas glabrous. Fruits 4–6(–10), black, 0.6–1 cm, peduncles 2–3[–14] cm. Seeds 2–6(–8), 4–5 × 2 mm. 2n = 20.

More

A pumpkin family plant. It is a vine that keeps growing from year to year. It grows 2 m high and spreads 2 m wide. The rootstock is large and fleshy. The stem is weak and climbing. It has prickly spiral tendrils. These are opposite the leaves. The leaves are rough and have 5 leaflets like fingers on a hand. They are heart shaped. The flowers are green, white or yellow. They are small and of one sex. They are in the axils of leaves. The fruit are small, round berries.

Life form

perennial

Growth form

herb

Growth support

climber

Foliage retention

deciduous

Sexuality

Pollination

entomogamy

Spread

endozoochory

Mature width (meter)

2.0

Mature height (meter)

3.25 - 3.5

Root system

-

Rooting depth (meter)

-

Root diameter (meter)

-

Flower color

Blooming months

Jan	Feb	Mar
Apr	May	Jun
Jul	Aug	Sep
Oct	Nov	Dec

Fruit color

-

Fruiting months

-

Nitrogen fixer

-

Photosynthetic pathway

c3

Environment

Vineyards and woods. Shrubby formations, forest edges, ravines, as a weed in orchards. Found especially in dry soils, preferring rocky slopes in the mountainous areas, dry riverbeds or even sand dunes.

More

It is a Mediterranean plant. It is best in a moist, rich soil. It needs an open sunny position. It is resistant to drought and frost.

Light
Soil humidity
Soil texture
Soil acidity
Soil nutriment
Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

The starch of the root is a famine food for extending bread flour after removing the acrid element. The young shoots are eaten. Caution: It is probably very poisonous.

Uses	environmental use medicinal poison
Edible	leaves roots shoots
Therapeutic use	Cancer (unspecified), Diuretic (unspecified), Emetic (unspecified), Emmenagogue (unspecified), Expectorant (unspecified), Pleurisy (unspecified), Poison (unspecified), Purgative (unspecified), Vermifuge (unspecified), Anodyne (unspecified), Cough (unspecified), Hydragogue (unspecified), Dropsy (unspecified), Hemorrhage (unspecified), Sclerosis(Spleen) (unspecified), Phthisis (unspecified)
Human toxicity	strong toxic (root), strong toxic (whole), strong toxic (fruit)
Animal toxicity	very strong toxic (root), very strong toxic (whole), very strong toxic (fruit)

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed.

Mode	seedlings
Germination duration (days)	-
Germination temperacture (C°)	-
Germination luminosity	-
Germination treatment	-
Minimum temperature (C°)	-
Optimum temperature (C°)	-
Size	-
Vigor	-
Productivity	-