Cyprus ivy

Cyprus ivy is endemic to the island of Cyprus. It can be found on riversides, rocks and trees in the Tróodos massif.

It is botanically close to Iran ivy(Hedera pastuchovii). After being considered a species in its own right, it is now classified as a subspecies of pastuchovii(Hedera pastuchovii subsp. cypria). It differs from Hedera pastuchovii in that the leaves are more veined with white. When crumpled, it gives off a sweet smell, slightly less pronounced than that of Hedera pastuchovii or Hedera colchica.

The habit is spreading or slightly bushy. Stems are slender and initially ruby-red, turning gray-brown with age. Internodes are 1 to 6 cm apart.

Juvenile leaves are triangular in shape, with 3 obtuse lobes. They are 1.5 to 6.5 cm long and 1.5 to 5 cm wide. The apex is slightly mucronate. The base is more or less cordate. Mature leaves are larger, measuring 7.5 to 17 cm long and 6.5 to 14.5 cm wide. They are unlobed or only slightly lobed. They are hastate or lanceolate, truncated at the base or slightly cordate.

The leaf blade is generally dark green, with attractive silvery-gray veins, particularly on young leaves. The underside is light green. On mature leaves, the leaf blade turns yellowish-green and the veins fade considerably.

Like the young stems, the petioles are ruby-red and 0.5 to 6 cm long.

The hairs are scaly. They are distributed on stems, petioles and the underside of leaves. They are composed of more than 8 branches.