Appearance

Bryonia alba is a vigorous herbaceous perennial vine resembling kudzu in appearance and growth habit.

Foliage

Vines emerge each spring from a large fleshy parsnip-shaped tuber and grow rapidly, sometimes to 30 ft. (9.1 m) in a season. Bryonia alba develops a herbaceous vine each year sporting tendrils and palm-shaped, alternate, broadly five-lobed leaves which are covered on upper and lower surfaces by small white glands.

Flowers

Flowers are small, greenish-white, with five petals and produced in clusters.

Fruit

Fruits consist of dark-blue berries that can be 0.3 in. (0.8 cm) in diameter when fully ripe. When crushed, the berries contain a viscous fluid and emit a very bad odor.

Ecological Threat

Infestations will overgrow and smother small trees and shrubs forming dense mats that shade out all the vegetation it grows upon. If established in areas with no structure to climb, it will form a dense mat covering the ground. All parts of Bryonia alba contain byonin, a toxin that can cause illness or death. Livestock may also be poisoned by consuming the plant.

Citation
Winston, R.L., Andreas, J.E., Milan, J., DesCamp, W., Randell, C.B., and M. Schwarzländer. 2014. New Invaders of the Northwest. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. FHTET-2014-12. Retrieved from https://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/pdfs/FHTET-2014-12_NW_New_Invaders.pdf
 

Selected Images

Maps

Invasive Listing Sources

• Idaho Noxious Weeds
• New Invaders of the Northwest
• Oregon Noxious Weeds
• Pacific Northwest Exotic Pest Plant Council, 1998
• Washington Noxious Weeds
• WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States

References