Menispermum canadense — Canada moonseed
![Winter buds: Menispermum canadense. ~ By West Virgina University Press. ~ Copyright © 2024 West Virgina University Press. ~ carrie.mullen[at]mail.wva.edu ~ Core, Earl L. and Nelle P. Ammons. 1958. Woody Plants in Winter. West Virginia U. Press, Morgantown, WV. 218pp.](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Menispermaceae/menispermum-canadense-wb-wvupress1.jpg)
![Flowers: Menispermum canadense. ~ By Lawrence Newcomb. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Menispermaceae/menispermum-canadense-fl-lnewcomb.jpg)
![Plant form: Menispermum canadense. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Menispermaceae/menispermum-canadense-ha-ahaines.jpg)
![Leaves: Menispermum canadense. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Menispermaceae/menispermum-canadense-le-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Leaves: Menispermum canadense. ~ By Karen Searcy. ~ Copyright © 2024 Karen Searcy. ~ ksearcy[at]bio.umass.edu](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Menispermaceae/menispermum-canadense-le-ksearcy.jpg)
![Leaves: Menispermum canadense. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Menispermaceae/menispermum-canadense-le-ahaines-b.jpg)
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeFacts
Canada moonseed is a climbing perennial vine that can get quite large. The fruits bear a slight resemblance to grapes but should not be eaten as they are poisonous. The Cherokee used this plant in herbal medicine.
Habitat
Cliffs, balds, or ledges, forests, ridges or ledges, woodlands
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Growth form
- the plant is a liana (a woody plant with a vine-like growth form)
- Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
- armature on plant
- the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns
- Leaf blade length
- 100–200 mm
- Leaf blade width
- 100–150 mm
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Bark texture
- the bark of an adult plant is thin and smooth
-
Buds or leaf scars
- Bud scar shape (Fraxinus)
- NA
-
Flowers
- Enlarged sterile flowers
- there are no enlarged sterile flowers on the plant
- Flower petal color
- white
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Hairs on ovary (Amelanchier)
- NA
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a panicle (branched with the individual flowers on stalks)
- Number of pistils
-
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are separate
- Sepal cilia (Ilex)
- NA
- Stamen number
-
- 12
- 13 or more
-
Fruits or seeds
- Berry color
-
- black
- blue
- Fruit tissue origin
- there are no flower parts that form part of the fruit
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a drupe (fleshy, with a firm inner ovary wall that encloses a single seed)
- Nut with spines (Fagaceae)
- NA
-
Glands or sap
- Sap color
- the sap is clear and watery
- Stalked glands on fruit (Rosa)
- NA
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is a liana (a woody plant with a vine-like growth form)
-
Leaves
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf blade base shape
-
- the base of the leaf blade is rounded
- the base of the leaf blade is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- Leaf blade edges (Acer)
- NA
- Leaf blade flatness
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- NA
- the hairs on the leaf blade are different from the choices given
- Leaf blade length
- 100–200 mm
- Leaf blade scales
- there are no scales on the leaf blades
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade translucent dots
- there are no translucent dots on the leaf blade
- Leaf blade width
- 100–150 mm
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf lobe tips (Quercus)
- NA
- Leaf midrib glands
- the midrib of the leaf blade lacks glands on the upper surface
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf stalk nectaries
- there are no nectaries on the leaf stalk
- Leaf teeth
-
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- the leaf blade margin is undulate (wavy), but does not have teeth
- Leaf teeth hairs (Carya)
- NA
- Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- cliffs, balds, or ledges
- forests
- ridges or ledges
- woodlands
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of an odor, or it has an unpleasant or repellant odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Aerial roots
- the plant has no aerial roots
- Bark texture
- the bark of an adult plant is thin and smooth
- Branch brittleness (willows only)
- NA
- Branch cross-section
- the branch is circular in cross-section, or it has five or more sides, so that there are no sharp angles
- First-year cane (Rubus)
- NA
- Twig papillae (Vaccinium species only)
- NA
- Wings on branch
- the branch does not have wings on it
- armature on plant
- the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns
Wetland status
Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- uncommon (S-rank: S3), #NAME? (code: #NAME?)
- New Hampshire
- historical (S-rank: SH), endangered (code: E)
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Menispermum canadense L. N
Canada moonseed. CT, MA, NH, VT; mainly western New England, but disjunct on Cape Cod. Rich forests and woodlands, riparian forests, rocky ridges.