Bryony

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How to read a taxobox
Bryonia
Bryonia alba (white briony)
Bryonia alba (white briony)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Bryonia
L.
Species
  • B. alba (White Bryony)
  • B. cretica (Cretan Bryony), B. cretica ssp. dioica

Bryony or briony is the common name for species in the genus Bryonia of perennial, tendril-climbing, dioecious herbs with palmately lobed leaves and flowers in axillary clusters. The fruit is a smooth, globular berry.

A close-up view of the male flowers of white bryony.
A close-up view of the male flowers of white bryony.

The English species Bryonia alba is known as white bryony and grows in hedgerows as far north as Yorkshire. There are eight varieties established in Europe.

Black Bryony is an unrelated plant of the Dioscoreaceae

Some species find use in herbal medicine.

Bryonia is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Cabbage Moth.


[edit] Other

Variants of the plant name, such as Briony, Bryonie and Bryony are used, in some cultures, as girls names.


[edit] External links