Cissus cornifolia (Baker) Planch.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect or semi-scandent shrub or treelet (0.2–)0.6–2.1 m. tall from a large tuberous fire-resistant rootstock; stems cylindrical with ± swollen nodes, ferruginous-tomentose, sparsely hairy or glabrescent, later woody with green ridged bark and glabrous; tendrils usually absent, if present simple, glabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple, oblong, elliptic, ovate, narrowly elliptic, ovate-lanceolate or ± lanceolate, 2–9.5 cm. long, 1.5–5 cm. wide, obtusely angled to apiculate at the apex, rounded at the base, not lobed but denticulate at margins with adpressed teeth, whitish or ferruginous hairy, velvety at first, always very densely so on very young leaves but later sparse on the faces but ± dense on venation beneath; at length sometimes ± entirely glabrous; petiole 2–12 mm. long, ± densely pilose; stipules semicircular to ovate, 2–5.5 mm. long, 2–3.5 mm. wide, rounded at apex, cordate at the base, glabrous except for ciliolate margins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers usually appearing well before the leaves or sometimes when the leaves are not fully developed, in umbel-like clusters arranged in leaf-opposed cymes 2–10 cm. long, mostly on the woody branches; peduncle 0.5–7 cm. long; axes glabrescent, sparsely hairy or densely ferruginous; pedicels 1–5 mm. long, glabrous; bracts ovate-triangular, ± 2 mm. long, obtuse, glabrous or pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 0.7–1 mm. long, subentire, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals green, yellow or greenish cream, triangular, 1.8–2.2 mm. long, obtuse, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits red, reddish purple or purplish black, ovoid or oblong-ovoid, 1–1.5 cm. long, 6–8 mm. wide, glabrous, 1-seeded, edible.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed ovoid, compressed, 8–11 mm. long, 5–6.5 mm. wide, 4–5 mm. thick; basal projection short; median ridge narrow, sinuous; lateral lines clear; testa smooth.

Figures

Fig. 8.

Habitat

Brachystegia woodland, Commiphora-Acacia-Euphorbia thicket, Acacia-Strophanthus-Royena thicket, scattered-tree grassland and grassland; often on granite outcrops, sometimes on black soil and occasionally persisting in cultivations; 150–1525(1– 800) m.

Distribution

K4 T1 T2 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 U3