Family:
Vitaceae Juss.

Cissus L.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Tropics & Subtropics.

[FZ]

Vitaceae, H. Wild & R. B. Drummond. Flora Zambesiaca 2:2. 1966

Morphology General Habit
Erect or climbing perennial herbs or shrubs; tendrils leaf-opposed or absent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple or more rarely lobed or digitately 3–7-foliolate, margins variously toothed, rarely entire; stipules present.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences in leaf-opposed or terminal or rarely axillary cymes with the flowers in umbels on the ultimate branchlets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flower-bud conical, not constricted at the middle. Flowers 4-merous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx entire or 4-lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals cucullate at the apex, becoming deflexed after anthesis, caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers on short filaments.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk annular, ± adnate to ovary, entire or lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Style simple, subulate; stigma subulate or subcapitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit usually 1-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed oblong, ovoid or subspherical, often abruptly narrowed at one end and sometimes with a dorsal crest.

[FTEA]

Vitaceae, Bernard Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1993

Morphology General Habit
Erect or climbing perennial herbs, massive woody lianes or shrubs, sometimes ± succulent; often glandular; rootstock tuberous; tendrils nearly always present, leaf-opposed
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple, entire or lobed or digitately 3–7-foliolate, petiolate or rarely sessile; leaflet margins entire to variously toothed; stipules present but often soon falling
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences nearly always leaf-opposed but sometimes terminal or axillary cymes, the ultimate components umbelliform; bracts and bracteoles present
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 4-merous; buds ovoid or conical, not constricted in the middle
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx entire or 4-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals cucullate at the apex, becoming deflexed, deciduous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk annular or sinuate-annular, entire or lobed, adnate to the ovary which is sometimes almost entirely included
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary with 2 locules each with 2 ovules; style cylindric or cylindric-conic; stigma subulate or subcapitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits usually 1-seeded
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed oblong, ovoid or subspherical, often beaked, sometimes with a dorsal crest and two ventral pits.

[FSOM]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Erect or climbing perennial herbs, lianes or shrubs, sometimes succulent, nearly always with leaf-opposed tendrils
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple, entire or lobed or digitately 3–7-foliolate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers 4-merous, in usually leaf-opposed but sometimes terminal or axillary cymes; buds ovoid or conical, not constricted at the middle
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx entire or 4-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals becoming deflexed, deciduous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk annular, entire or lobed, adnate to the ovary
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style cylindric or cylindric-conic, with subulate to subcapitate stigma
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits usually 1-seeded
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed oblong to subglobose, often beaked, sometimes with a dorsal crest and two ventral pits.
Distribution
Some 280 species in all tropical regions and extending into the subtropics.

Native to:

Alabama, Andaman Is., Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Arizona, Arkansas, Aruba, Assam, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Borneo, Botswana, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Burkina, Burundi, Cabinda, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Caprivi Strip, Cayman Is., Central African Repu, Chad, China South-Central, China Southeast, Christmas I., Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Himalaya, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Florida, French Guiana, Gabon, Galápagos, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Hainan, Haiti, Honduras, India, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jawa, Kansas, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Laccadive Is., Laos, Leeward Is., Lesser Sunda Is., Liberia, Louisiana, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Mali, Maluku, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Mississippi, Missouri, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Guinea, New Mexico, New South Wales, Nicaragua, Nicobar Is., Niger, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Northern Territory, Oklahoma, Oman, Pakistan, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Queensland, Rwanda, Réunion, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Socotra, Solomon Is., Somalia, Southwest Caribbean, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Texas, Thailand, Tibet, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, Turks-Caicos Is., Uganda, Uruguay, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Victoria, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Western Australia, Windward Is., Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Introduced into:

Cook Is., Hawaii, Marianas, Seychelles

Cissus L. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
Cruse, A.W. [214], Zambia 11502.000
Tanner, R. [468], Tanzania 11503.000
Wild, H. [35562], Zimbabwe 11504.000
White, F. [2483], Zambia 11505.000
Cruse, A.W. [79], Zambia 11506.000
Cruse, A.W. [25A], Zambia 11507.000
Cruse, A.W. [125A], Zambia 11508.000
Cruse, A.W. [229], Zambia 15549.000
Angus, A. [1006], Zambia 15890.000
Bally, P.R.O. [817], Kenya 16452.000
Bally, P.R.O. [12150], Tanzania 18861.009
Bally, P.R.O. [B9580], Somalia 25683.000
Drummond, R. [2344A], Tanzania 25688.000
Myers, J.G. [11760], Sudan 3206.000
Bally, P.R.O. [B14901], Kenya 34621.000
Wild, H. [G.H.40734], Zimbabwe 35217.000
Tweedie, E.M., Kenya 4957.000
Fay, J.M. [8404], Central African Republic 60367.000
Harris, D.J. [2242], Central African Republic 63046.000
Faulkner, H. [3156], Tanzania 7113.000
Andrews, F.W. [1917], Sudan 9823.000
Wild, H. [40773], Zimbabwe 9824.000
Dalziel, J.M. [66], Nigeria 9825.000
White, F. [1959], Zambia 9826.000
Drummond, R.B. [3516], Tanzania 9827.000
Wight [s.n.], Myanmar K000736458
Etuge, M. [1850], Cameroon K000339744

First published in Sp. Pl.: 117 (1753)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.

Literature

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • Sp. Pl. 1: 117 (1753)
  • Suessenguth in E. & P. Pflanzenfam. 20D: 237 (1953).

Flora Zambesiaca

  • Descoings in Not. Syst. 16: 113–125 (1960).
  • Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 53 (1754).
  • Sp. Pl. 1: 117 (1753)

Flora of Somalia

  • Flora Somalia, Vol 2, (1999) Author: by M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • L., Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 53 (1754)
  • Sp. Pl.: 117 (1753)

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    Flora of Somalia
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/