Vitaceae
Cissus

Cissus nigropilosa Dewit

First published in Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 29: 296 (1959)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. Tanzania to Zambia. It is a scrambling perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect perennial herb or climber 0.5–2.1 m. tall or long; stems striate, pubescent with short curved yellowish hairs admixed with black medifixed hairs, later glabrescent, without tendrils or rarely with short unbranched or bifid slender tendrils.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves digitately 5-foliolate; leaflets linear to oblanceolate, 1.5–11 cm. long, 0.3–1.2 cm. wide, acute to shortly acuminate at the apex, narrowly cuneate at the base, ciliate-dentate especially towards the apex, pubescent with white hairs above, together with a few scattered deciduous black medifixed hairs, beneath densely covered with black medifixed hairs especially when young and with stiff curved white hairs on the main nerves; petiole 1.5–6.5 cm. long, with similar indumentum to the stems; stipules triangular, 2–4 mm. long and wide, ciliate, glabrous above, pubescent with simple white and black medifixed hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in slender leaf-opposed cymes; peduncle 2–5.5 cm. long with hairs similar to stems; pedicels 1.5–2.5 mm. long, lengthening to 6 mm. in fruit, densely covered with black medifixed hairs; bracts and bracteoles triangular, ± 1 mm. long, ciliate and with few simple white hairs and black medifixed hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 0.25 mm. long, pubescent and with medifixed hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals brown and green, narrowly ovate, 1.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, similarly pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary glabrous; style 1 mm. long; stigma slightly notched.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit dark purple-black, ovoid, 8 mm. long, 6 mm. wide, 1-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed ovoid, 6 mm. long, 4 mm. wide.
Figures
Figs. 6/2, p.31; 7, p.34.
Habitat
Brachystegia woodland on stony ground; 1200–1500 m.
Distribution
T4
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect herb to c. 1 m. tall; stem cylindric, striate, pubescent, with short curved hairs interspersed with black medifixed hairs; tendrils absent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves digitately 5-foliolate; petiole up to 6·5 cm. long, with indumentum as on stems; leaflet-lamina 5–11 × 0·5–1 cm., linear to occasionally oblanceolate, apex acute to slightly acuminate, margin ciliate-dentate especially towards apex, base narrowly cuneate, upper surface pubescent with white hairs and a few scattered caducous black medifixed hairs, under surface densely covered with black medifixed hairs especially when young and principal nerves with stiff curved white hairs; stipules 2–4 × 2–4 mm., triangular, ciliate, upper surface glabrous, lower surface with simple white hairs and black medifixed hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes leaf-opposed; peduncle up to 5·5 cm. long, with indumentum as on stems; pedicels 1·5–2·5 mm. long lengthening to 6 mm. in fruit, densely covered with black medifixed hairs; bracts and bracteoles c. 1 mm. long, triangular, ciliate and with a few simple white hairs and black medifixed hairs.
Morphology General Buds
Flower-bud up to 1·5 mm. long, pubescent and with black medifixed hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 0·25 mm. long, pubescent and with black medifixed hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary glabrous; style 1 mm. long; stigma slightly notched.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit dark purple-black, 8 × 6 mm., ovoid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed c. 6 × 4 mm., ovoid.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • 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 Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0