ciliosa – refers to hairs on leaf margin, from Latin cilia, meaning eyelashes

Native range: Western North America

Leaves:

• opposite
• simple
• elliptic to ovate
• 4–10 cm long
• entire margin w/ hairs
• leaves at end of twig fused to form one leaf (disk) surrounding the inflorescence

Flowers:

• terminal clusters of orange-red tubular to narrowly trumpet-shaped flowers in whorls above the disk-leaf at branch ends
• 1–1.5” long
• flowers flare to 5 lobes

Fruit:

• small berries (to 1 cm) w/ several seeds
• orange-red, translucent
• inedible

Other characteristics:

• climbing, widely branching vine, sometimes reaching 6 m. in height
• deciduous
• hollow twigs

Ecology & Adaptations:

• British Columbia south to Oregon, east to Montana
• ranging throughout Washington
• found in open to rather dense woods, thickets, from sea level to mid-elevations in the mountains
• pollination – nectar attracts hummingbirds, bees
• herbivore defense – berries appear to contain toxins (the literature is scarce, but they were not eaten by Native Americans, though children sucked the nectar from the flowers before seed set)
• wildlife:
  • hosts several butterfly and moth species (i.e., eggs are laid and caterpillars feed exclusively on them)
  • birds eat fruit and disperse seed