Vitaceae
Cyphostemma

Cyphostemma adenocaule (Steud. ex A.Rich.) Desc. ex Wild & R.B.Drumm.

First published in Fl. Zambes. 2: 473 (1966)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. Tropical Africa to Eritrea and Angola. It is a climbing caudex geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Climbing, scrambling or trailing herb up to several meters long from a tuberous rootstock; basal parts sometimes ± woody
Morphology Stem
Stems glabrous to pubescent or with stalked glands
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pedately (3–)5–7(–11)-foliolate; petiole 1–5.5(–9.5) cm long; leaflets thin, elliptic to broadly ovate, 1.5–10(–11.5) x 1–6(–7.5) cm, the median ones largest, cuneate to cordate at the base, acute to acuminate at the apex, with serrate margins, glabrous to densely pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers in 2–15 cm long cymes; peduncle 1–10 cm long; pedicels 1–4 mm long elongating up to 10 mm in fruit, glabrous to pubescent and sometimes with stalked glands
Morphology General Buds
Buds 2–4.5 mm long, slightly constricted at the middle
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx c. 1.5 mm wide
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals usually greenish-yellow, 2.2–4 mm long, glabrous to pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits ellipsoid to obovoid, 6–8(–11) x 4–6(–7) mm, red to purplish black, usually deflexed, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed ellipsoid, 4–7(–8) x 3–6 mm, ventral ridge elevated, dorsal ridges obscure, transversal radial ridges sometimes evident, often sparsely to densely spiny to tuberculate.
Distribution
N1; S1–3 widespread in tropical Africa.
Ecology
Altitude range 35–1000 m.
Vernacular
Armacmis, bataaka-mayoonda, carmo co’ley, carmo lo’loy (Somali).
Note
This is an extremely variable species, varying from glabrous to densely pubescent and from non-glandular to densely glandular.
[FSOM]

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, Bernard Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1993

Morphology General Habit
Herbaceous climber or scrambler 1.5–3(–7.5) m. long from a tuberous rootstock; basal parts sometimes ± woody; stems glabrous to densely whitish or reddish pubescent or sometimes with scattered to rarely dense stalked glands; tendrils present, often red, long and slender.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pedately 5–7(-11)-foliolate; leaflets thin, elliptic or ovate to broadly ovate, 1.5–10(–11.5) cm. long, 1–6(–7.5) cm. wide, the median ones largest, acuminate or acute at the apex, cuneate to cordate at the base, serrate, glabrous to densely pubescent; petiole 1–5.5(–9.5) cm. long; petiolules of lateral leaflets 0.6–1 cm. long, of median up to 4.5 cm.; stipules often red, ovate to oblong-ovate, 6–10 mm. long, 1.5–7 mm. wide, slightly falcate, enclosing young shoot buds.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes corymbose, 2–15 cm. long; peduncle 1–8(–10) cm. long; pedicels 1–4 mm. long, lengthening to 10 mm. in fruit, sometimes with stalked glands; all axes glabrescent to ± densely often ferruginous pubescent.
Morphology General Buds
Buds 2–4.5 mm. long, slightly constricted at middle, glabrous to pubescent or papillate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 0.4 mm. wide, entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla dull pinkish mauve, white, green, yellow or greenish yellow, sometimes bright maroon in apical cucullate part, elongate-conic, ± saccate at base, glabrous to pubescent; petals narrowly oblong-triangular, 2.2–4 mm. long, 0.5–1 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits red to purplish black, usually deflexed downwards, ellipsoid to obovoid, 6–8(–11) mm. long; 4–6(–7) mm. wide, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ± ellipsoid to ovoid, very slightly reniform, 4–7(–8) mm. long, 3–6 mm. wide, 3–5 mm. thick; basal part of ventral ridge wider, sometimes grooved at sides, rest narrower and more elevated; dorsal ridges less obvious or obscure; 4–5 transverse radial ridges evident or obscure, sometimes sparsely finely echinate to tuberculate; the pattern is variable.
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
A somewhat fleshy herbaceous climber with striate stems
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence and flowers reddish
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits glabrous, purplish or black
Ecology
In savannah.
[FWTA]

Uses

Use
The plant is used in traditional medicine in Somalia.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • 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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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