Cissus rubiginosa (Welw. ex Baker) Planch.

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

Morphology General Habit

Woody or ± herbaceous climber or shrubby, 0.5–1.8 m. tall, from a thick woody rootstock; all parts woolly pilose with reddish brown or coppery red hairs; tendrils bifid, up to 30 cm. long, densely pilose.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple, round to broadly elliptic or ovate, 5–15 cm. long and wide, acute, obtuse or apiculate at the apex, deeply cordate at the base, the margin dentate with subulate teeth 2–3 mm. long, woolly pilose, particularly beneath; stipules obovate-rounded to narrowly oblong, falcate, 5–10 mm. long, 3–6 mm. wide, rounded at the apex, truncate at the base; petiole 2–8 cm. long, densely hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in many-flowered umbelliform cymes arranged in cymose inflorescences 4–7 cm. long; peduncle 2–6.5 cm. long; secondary axes 1.5–3 cm. long; pedicels 3–7 mm. long, densely pilose or woolly, lengthening to 11 mm.; bracts and bracteoles lanceolate, 2.5–5 mm. long, densely pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx cupular, 0.5–1 mm. long, densely pilose, entire or irregularly lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals yellow, cream or white, sometimes pink at edges, ovate-triangular, 1.3–2 mm. long, cucullate, densely woolly-pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 1.5 mm. long; anthers 0.5 mm. long, with thick connective.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary pilose; style 1 mm. long with subcapitate stigma.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits black, globose or ovoid, 6–10 mm. long, 5–7(–10) mm. wide, glabrous, 1-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed compressed ellipsoid, 6 mm. long, 4–5 mm. wide, 4 mm. thick, the basal projection short and conical, median keel flattened, broad and slightly sinuous; lateral lines not distinct; pits broad and deep; surface ± smooth.

Figures

Fig. 4.

Habitat

Lake shore and valley forest, woodland and grassland, dry termite mounds in swamps; 450–1200 m.

Distribution

T4 T6 T7 T8 U1 U3 Sierra Leone, Togo, Nigeria to Sudan, Zaire, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi and Angola

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

Morphology General Habit

Climber; all parts woolly-pilose with reddish-brown hairs; stems cylindric; tendrils 2-fid.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple; petiole up to 8 cm. long; leaf-lamina up to 13·5 × 15 cm., circular to broadly elliptic or ovate, acute, obtuse or apiculate at the apex, margin dentate with projecting subulate teeth up to 2 mm. long, deeply cordate at the base, with woolly indumentum, less dense on upper surface; stipules 7 × 3 mm., oblong-falcate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Cymes leaf-opposed; peduncle 2·6–6·5 cm. long; pedicels 4 mm. long, lengthening to 11 mm. in fruit; bracts and bracteoles up to 4 × 1·5 mm., lanceolate.

Morphology General Buds

Flower-bud 2–2·5 mm. long, woolly-pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 1 mm. long, subentire, woolly-pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary pilose; style 1 mm. long; stigma subcapitate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 7 × 5 mm. when dry, often with persistent style, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed 1, 6 × 4 mm., with dorsal crest.

Ampelidaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

A climbing or trailing herb

Ecology

In savannah regions.