HUMULUS lupulus

Perennial herbaceous vine, living 10–20 years, with horizontal and vertical roots, the horizontal roots spreading out at depth of 20–30 cm and giving rise to fibrous roots in upper layers of soil, the vertical roots developing downward to depth of 152 cm with spread of 183–244 cm with no fibrous roots; stems annual, slender, climbing, up to 9 m in length, often with stout hooked hairs; leaves opposite, cordate, 3- to 5-lobed, margins serrate, petioles slightly fleshy with stout hooked hairs; plants dioecious with unisexual flowers on separate plants, but occasionally monoecious plants occur, in which case male or female flowers are often infertile; wind-pollinated; female inflorescence cone-like, 2.5–5 cm long; male flowers in long racemes.