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Boston ivy

Boston ivy or Japanese ivy, tall-climbing woody vine ( Parthenocissus tricuspidata ) from East Asia, one of the most popular of city wall coverings. Of the same genus as the Virginia creeper and sometimes called ampelopsis, it climbs by disk-tipped tendrils and has three-lobed, or three-parted, leaves, which develop vivid colors in the fall. Boston ivy is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Rhamnales, family Vitaceae.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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