Vitaceae
Cissus

Cissus trothae Gilg & M.Brandt

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 46: 447, 474 (1912)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central & SW. Tanzania to S. Tropical Africa. It is a perennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect or suberect shrub, 1.2–3 m. tall, the branches becoming scandent; stems ± square, densely velvety with ferruginous hairs or later ± greyish silvery (possibly ferruginous only when dry); tendrils present and bearing a stipule-like organ below the middle.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves ovate, round or rounded-oblong, (2.5–) 14–21 cm. long, (3–) 13–21 cm. wide, rounded at apex but with projecting midrib forming a short apiculum, cordate at the base, denticulate with longer and smaller apicula being projections of main and intermediate nerves, densely ferruginous woolly-velvety on both surfaces when young; petiole (1–)3.5–12 cm. long; stipules oblong, (1–)1.3–1.5 cm. long, 0.6–1.1 cm. wide, ± truncate, velvety ferruginous outside, ± glabrous inside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, ± 9 cm. long, extending to 17 cm. in fruit, densely ferruginous; peduncles 5–6.5 cm. long; secondary axes 2.5 cm. long; pedicels 2–5 mm. long, lengthening to 7 mm. in fruit, densely ferruginous hairy; bracts stipule-like, 4–5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 0.7 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide, undulate, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals yellow or greenish yellow, 3 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Young fruits 1.2 cm. long, 1 cm. wide, glabrous.
Habitat
Isoberlinia-Brachystegia and Combretum-Comimiphora-Lannea-Delonix-Sterculia woodland and semi-evergreen bushland but sometimes in quite arid places, usually on granite outcrops; 950–1650 m.
Distribution
T5 T7 not known elsewhere
[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: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect shrublet from perennial rootstock, flowering before adult leaves are produced; whole plant except petals and ovary densely ferruginous-tomentose; stem cylindric.
Morphology General Tendrils
Tendrils usually absent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple; petiole 4–18 cm. long; leaf-lamina up to 23 × 22 cm., circular to broadly ovate, apex obtuse, sometimes obscurely 3-lobed, margin dentate or sinuate-dentate, base deeply cordate; stipules up to 15 × 8 mm., densely pubescent outside, glabrous within.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes leaf-opposed; peduncle 2–4 cm. long; pedicels congested, 4 mm. long, lengthening to 10 mm. in fruit; bracts and bracteoles up to 4 mm. long.
Morphology General Buds
Flower-bud 3 mm. long, puberulous towards apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 1 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals purple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary glabrous; style 1 mm. long; stigma subcapitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 9 × 6 mm., glabrous.
[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