Hedera algeriensis is a species of evergreen ivy

Ivy

Ivy, plural ivies is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan.-Description:On level ground they...

 native to the North African coast, including coastal mountains in Algeria

Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

, and cultivated in Britain since 1838.

Description

It is a vigorous, large evergreen climber, self-clinging by aerial roots. The stems are reddish, partly decorated with stellate hairs or scales, reddish-starred with about 15 rays. The leaves are alternate and simple. As in other Hedera species, the fertile branches have stiff stems with leaves having usually fewer lobes compared to the sterile (juvenile) stems. The main part of the leaf (the lamina) is oval-rhombic, 12-20 cm by 5–12 cm on flowering branches and coarsely toothed or slightly lobed (3-5 lobes) on the sterile stems. The inflorescence is a cluster of 13-15 pubescent flowers. Small flowers in umbels develop only on the fertile stems or branches. The plant contains the glycoside hederagenin, mostly in the leaves and berries, which could cause a mild toxicosis. If these parts are ingested it may cause severe discomfort, and handling plants may cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction. The plant is rejected by herbivorous animals. Variegated cultivars of Hedera algeriensis are widely used in gardening. It naturalizes in mild climates and lowlands.

Ecology

It may be a noxious weed or be invasive

Invasive species

"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....

. It requires consistently moist soil, but is more resistant to environmental dryness than most related species and can stand drought better than other ivies. It tolerates low temperatures better than island species of similar latitudes, such as Hedera canariensis

Hedera canariensis

Hedera canariensis is a species of Ivy which is native to the Atlantic coast in Canary islands and northern Africa. Its common name is the Canarian Ivy.-Description:...

, Hedera maderensis

Hedera maderensis

Hedera maderensis, or Madeiran Ivy, is a species of Ivy which is native to the Atlantic coast in Madeira island. It is a plant of botanical family Araliaceae, species endemic to the island of Madeira with the name: Hedera maderensis...

, Hedera azorica

Hedera azorica

Hedera azorica is a species of Ivy which is native to the Atlantic coast in Azores Islands. Its common name is Ivy. It is an evergreen climbing plant, growing to 20–30 m high where suitable surfaces are available, and also growing as ground cover where there are no vertical surfaces...

, or Hedera cypria

Hedera cypria

Hedera cypria, is a species of Ivy which is native to the Mediterranean sea in Cyprus island. It is a plant of botanical family Araliaceae, a species endemic to the island of Cyprus with the name: Hedera cypria...

. It is native to the North African coast and coastal mountains where the climate is cooler and condensation provides a more humid habitat. It is frost sensitive at about the -2 °C winter isotherm but can become naturalised in mild climates. Hedera algeriensis arose from a common ancestor in the cloud forest

Cloud forest

A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...

 habitat in the Mediterranean area. The northern African Hedera and northeast Atlantic species of the genus Hedera are closely related species. Until recently it was thought there was a single species, Hedera helix, but recent studies have shown that there are several species that differ mainly by microscopic details of the hairiness of the buds. Hedera maroccana

Hedera maroccana

Hedera maroccana is a species of Ivy which is native to the Atlantic coast in northern Africa. Its common name is the Marocco Ivy. It is an evergreen climbing plant, growing to 20–30 m high where suitable surfaces are available, and also growing as ground cover where there are no vertical surfaces...

, Hedera iberica

Hedera iberica

Hedera iberica, is a species of Ivy which is native to the mediterranean area, to west Iberian peninsula, mostly in Portugal, southwest Spain, and North Morocco. It is a plant of botanical family Araliaceae, species endemic. Formerly was classified as a sub-species named Hedera maderensis iberica...

, and Hedera canariensis

Hedera canariensis

Hedera canariensis is a species of Ivy which is native to the Atlantic coast in Canary islands and northern Africa. Its common name is the Canarian Ivy.-Description:...

are closely related.