What makes you suspect Parthenocissus quinquefolia would be a good candidate for such a hypothesis?

Brandon, your query as to, is it a ''good candidate for such a hypothesis'' greatly exaggerate the importance of my whimsical notion (Unless you were being facetious. In which case, well taken!). Hardly a conjecture, let alone a hypothesis. Old dictionaries might have called it a flisk.

I am aware that there is nothing in the copiously published phytochemistry of Parthenocissus that would indicate this route.

In any event my fancy was the result of the observation of the rooting and shooting of pieces of trimmings in an unattended compost heap.

No, my query was genuine. I thought maybe there was something that I was overlooking or hadn't thought of that made you post the topic.

That's where GardenWeb teaches me the most...where there is something I've never considered or heard about.