HEDERAL. - IVY
Scientific Description:
Woody, climbing or creeping perennials, the stems clinging by adventitious roots. Leaves simple, petiolate, elliptic to palmately lobed, exstipulate. Flowers hermaphrodite, in umbels which are arranged in racemose panicles or which are solitary; sepals minute; petals 5, free; ovary 5-celled; style 1. Fruit a globose berry.
Reference:
Chamberlain DF (1972). Hedera L., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 4: 538.
Public Description:
Hedera is a genus of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants commonly known as “ivy (plural ivies)”. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it is not preferred because it occupies forests in Europe and North America. There are approximately 17 species in the word and 3 species (4 taxa) in Türkiye. Ivies are of major ecological importance for their nectar and fruit production. “The ivy bee (Colletes hederae)” is completely dependent on ivy flowers, timing its entire life cycle around ivy flowering. The fruit are eaten by a range of birds. The berries are moderately toxic to humans, but they are very bitter so poisoning is rare. Ivies are the most popular plants among the cultivated plants thanks to its ease of planting and quick adaptation to the climate. It is used as a hedge plant to create an aesthetic image on the walls or to hide ugly walls with their multicoloured and evergreen foliage, attracting wildlife, and for adaptable design.
References:
Anonymous 1 (2015). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedera/, Accessed date: 22.12.2015.
Anonymous 2 (2015). http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Araliaceae/Hedera/ Accessed date: 22.12.2015.
Menemen Y (2012). Hedera L., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (edlr.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 90.
