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Annual, clambering and with reflexed-prickly stems and petioles as in the preceding 2 spp., climbing to several m; lvs thin, glabrous deltoid to hastate-cordate, shortly peltate at base, 3–8 cm, as wide as or wider than long, palmately or pinnipalmately veined; ocreae foliaceous-expanded; upper lvs represented only by the conspicuous, perfoliate ocreae; racemes spike-like, 1–2 cm, few-fld; stigmas 3; perianth 3–5 mm, persistent, thickening to form a fleshy, berry-like, iridescent-blue covering over the rotund-trigonous achene; 2n=24. Native of e. Asia, intr. and established in Pa., Md., and W.Va.; to be expected to spread.
A herb. It grows each year from seed. The branches are trailing and red-brown. They are angular and have prickles. They can be 2 m long. The leaf stalks are 2-8 cm long and have prickles. The leaves are triangle shaped and 4-6 cm long by 5-8 cm wide.
