Varieties:
– Varieties include hancei, kulingensis, glandulosa, heterophylla, and brevipedunculata.
Description:
– Ampelopsis glandulosa is a deciduous, woody, perennial climbing vine with palmately lobed leaves.
– Porcelain berry climbs to a height of 4 to 6 meters using non-adhesive tendrils.
– The inflorescence is a corymbiform cyme with small green-white flowers.
– Fruits are circular, 4 to 8 millimeters in diameter, and come in various colors.
– Porcelain berry can be distinguished from native grapes by observing the pith and bark.
Distribution and habitat:
– Porcelain berry grows in marginal habitats such as forest edges, pond margins, and stream banks.
– Native to China, Korea, Japan, and the Russian Far East, it was introduced to the US in the 1870s.
– Found from Wisconsin to the Atlantic coastline, it thrives in areas with full sunlight to partial shade.
– Avoids wet soils and heavily shaded areas, not typically found in mature forests.
– Its invasive range extends from Wisconsin to the Atlantic coastline.
Cultivation:
– Porcelain berry is cultivated for its ornamental use in gardens to adorn walls and arbors.
– Despite its invasiveness, it is widely cultivated and can dominate and kill smaller trees if not managed.
– Different varieties like A. brevipedunculata Elegans have specific characteristics.
– Not commonly used for culinary purposes due to its unlikable taste described as slimy and bland.
– Sometimes cultivated for medical purposes, particularly in China for various treatments.
Conservation:
– Porcelain berry is a major invasive species in parts of the Eastern US, thriving in urban and pastoral settings.
– It shades out and kills shrubs and younger trees, climbing over larger plants if left unchecked.
– Birds consume its seeds, aiding in its spread as a vector.
– Its characteristics that make it popular in gardens also contribute to its invasive nature.
– Found in disturbed areas like roadsides, old fields, and floodplains where sunlight is abundant.
Chemistry:
– The blue color of the berries is due to anthocyanidins-flavonols copigmentation.
– Stilbene oligomers like Ampelopsin A, B, and C are found in A. glandulosa var hancei.
– These compounds contribute to the unique color and chemical composition of the plant.