| Author | L. | |
| Distribution | Throughout the Coastal Plain. Present over most or all of the Piedmont; only a few Mountain counties, where scarce.
This is a widespread Southern species, ranging north to DE, MD, and southern KS, south to the Gulf Coast of FL and TX. | |
| Abundance | Fairly common to common in most of the Coastal Plain; infrequent to fairly common in the southeastern half of the Piedmont, but rare to uncommon in the northwestern portion (and perhaps absent in VA border counties). Very rare in the Mountains. | |
| Habitat | This is a species of thickets, wooded borders, and other edges, usually in moist soil. It is not a strict wetland species, but most populations do occur in openings and edges in bottomlands, but it does occur along fencerows and other upland places. | |
| Phenology | Blooms from June to frost, and fruits shortly after flowering. | |
| Identification | This is a slender herbaceous vine, climbing over other vegetation but only reaching 3-5 feet long. The alternate leaves are fairly small for a vine, being somewhat maple-like with 3 or 5 triangular lobes and a deeply cordate or cleft leaf base. Each leaf is about 2.5 inches across and long. Opposite each leaf is a tendril and one to several rather small, bright yellow flowers. Each flower is on a long stalk, with 5 spreading lobes, about 1/3-inch across. The fruit is ovoid and fleshy, green, and about 2/5-inch long, on a long and dangling stalk. This is a "cute", "miniature" vine, and the bright yellow flower is quite striking for a vine. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | None
| |
| Other Common Name(s) | Guadeloupe Cucumber | |
| State Rank | S4 [S5] | |
| Global Rank | G5? | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | FAC link |
| USACE-emp | FAC link |
