Hedera helix L. subsp. helix

Posted byTrajche DimitrovskiPosted inPlant families

Taxonomy: Family: Araliaceae// Genus: Hedera// Species: Hedera helix L.// Subspecies: Hedera helix L. subsp. helix.

Determined according to the botanical keys provided by Webb (1968 in Tutin et al.) and Micevski and Matevski (2005 in Matevski).

Lifeform: Perennial, evergreen woody climber. Sufriticose liana – root climber according to the Raunkiær system.

Distribution: Native from Europe to Türkiye according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew). Also native to Northwest Africa and the rest of the East Mediterranean in West Asia according to The Euro+Med Plantbase (source: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, 2010).

Habitat:  River gorges, alongside rivers in riparian vegetation, forests – in moist places.

Flowering period: Fall (SEP, OCT).

Hedera helix – habit. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – habit. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – habit. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – habit. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski
Hedera helix – flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – inflorescence – globose umbels grouped in racemose panicle. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – inflorescence. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – inflorescence. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – flowers. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – flowers. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – flowers. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – flowers. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – flowers. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – flowers. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – flowers. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – axis and branch of inflorescence. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – leaves of flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – leaves of flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – leaf of flowering shoot. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – adaxial side of leaf of flowering shoot. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – stem of flowering shoot. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – woody part of flowering shoot. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – climbing non-flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – non-flowering shoot. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – creeping non-flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – creeping non-flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – creeping non-flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – leaves of non-flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – leaves of non-flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – leaves of non-flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – adaxial side of leaf of non-flowering shoots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – abaxial side of leaf of non-flowering shoot. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – stems with adventitious roots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – stem with adventitious roots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – stem with adventitious roots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – stem with adventitious roots. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.09.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

Hedera helix – habit. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – branches. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – branches with fruits. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – branch with fruits. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – fruiting inflorescence. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – fruits. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – fruits. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – fruits. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – fruits. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – fruits. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – leaves of fruiting branches. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – adaxial side of leaf. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – abaxial side of leaf. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – leaf petiole. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – non-flowering branch. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – non-flowering branches. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – leaf of non-flowering branch. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – adaxial side of leaf. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – abaxial side of leaf. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – leaf petiole. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Hedera helix – stem of non-flowering shoot. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 06.01.2024. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

Hedera helix L. Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:90723-1 [Accessed 26.10.2023].

Hedera helix f. helix. Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77170790-1 [Accessed 04.02.2024].

Hedera helix. The Euro+Med PlantBase. Source: 2010: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (2010), copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online at https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/994f58d9-f137-4154-a9f5-9491db97f92b [Accessed 26.10.2023].

Hedera helix subsp. helix. The Euro+Med PlantBase. Source: 2010: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (2010), copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/421398d7-a4a8-4ff4-bcf4-9440ac7ad75e [Accessed 04.02.2024].

Micevski, K. and Matevski, V. 2005. Hedera L. In Matevski, V. (ed.), The Flora of the Republic of Macedonia. Vol. I, Book 6. Skopje: Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, pp. 1528.

Webb, D. A. 1968. Hedera L. In Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A. (eds.), Flora Europaea. Volume 2. Rosaceae to Umbelliferae. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 314.

Last update: 10.01.2026.