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Description: Baystar vine, also known as magnolia vine, is a deciduous, twining, woody vine with stems up to 3 cm in thickness. The alternate, glabrous, deciduous leaves are up to 6 cm in width by 15 cm in length and are ovate to elliptic with sparsely toothed leaf margins. The leaf bases are cuneate and the petioles are up to 7 cm in length. Baystar vine is a monoecious species meaning both male and female flowers are found on the same plant. From May through June, flowers develop on long stalks, drooping from the leaf axils of mature vines. Each flower exhibits 9 to 12 petals approximately 5 to 8 mm in length. Each flower petal exhibits a greenish margin with a crimson-coloration within. In July and August, the fruit develops as an aggregate of red berries 6 to 10 mm in length on an elongate spike 4 to 7 cm in length. Each berry contains 1 to 2 seeds (Patrick et. al. 1995). The above images of baystar vine were taken immediately following a rain storm which resulted in shiny waxy look of the leaves.
Habitat:
Baystar vine is found either trailing along the ground or twining up shrubs, trees, or other vines in rich woods, bottomland forests, or wooded slopes (see above center image). Occasionally baystar vine forms a thick groundcover similar to Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). The leaves exhibit a sweet smell when crushed (Patrick et. al. 1995).
Range:
Baystar vine is found in scattered localities in the southeastern United States on the Coastal Plain. It is found from the Mississippi Embayment in Arkansas and Tennessee, south to Louisiana and east to northeastern North Carolina, south to Georgia's Piedmont Plateau; and disjunct on the Cumberland Plateau of south-central Kentucky (Patrick et. al. 1995 and NatureServe 2003).
Special Identification Features:
Bay star-vine can be easily confused with climbing hydrangea (Decumaria barbara), a vine common along streams and in bottomland forests. The difference between both species is that climbing hydrangea has opposite leaves and climbs by means of aerial roots, while baystar vine has alternate leaves and climbs only by twining. Both species occupy similar habitats. In addition climbing hydrangea has showy, white, and flat-topped clusters of flowers. In contrast, the flowers of bay star-vine are inconspicuous, maroon colored, and are either solitary or in loose clusters (Patrick et. al. 1995).
References
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