Cissus thwaitesii

• Interesting Facts
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Interesting Facts

Description

Family Vitaceae

Woody climbers , sometimes vines , rarely small succulent trees , hermaphroditic or polygamo-monoecious to polygamo-dioecious . Stems unarmed , sometimes with conspicuous lenticels , or bark sometimes shredding (in most species of Vitis) ; branches often swollen at 3-7-lacunar nodes; pith continuous or interrupted by diaphragms at nodes; tendrils simple , bifurcate to trifurcate , or 4-12-branched (in Parthenocissus), usually leaf-opposed, rarely tendrils absent. Raphide sacs present in parenchymatous tissues . Leaves simple, lobed or unlobed, or digitately or pedately compound to 1-3-pinnately compound, alternate, distichous, variously toothed , commonly with multicellular , stalked , caducous spherical structures known as "pearl" glands ; stipules 2 or rarely absent, often caducous. Flowers small, with prophylls, in panicles, corymbs, or rarely spikes, often leaf-opposite, pseudo-terminal , or axillary (in Cayratia and Tetrastigma), actinomorphic , hypogynous, 4- or 5(-7 as in Rhoicissus) -merous. Calyx with 4 or 5(-7) small teeth or lobes or a continuous ring. Petals valvate , 4 or 5(-7), free or basally connate , or distally connate forming a calyptra (e.g. , in Vitis) . Stamens 4 or 5(-7), antepetalous ; anthers introrse , dehiscing longitudinally, tetrasporangiate or rarely bisporangiate . Floral disk intrastaminal , ring-shaped, cupular, or gland-shaped. Ovary superior, 2-loculed; ovules 2 per locule; placentation axile , appearing nearly basal, apotropous or anatropous , bitegmic, crassinucellar; style simple, connate; stigma discoid or capitate, rarely 4-lobed (Tetrastigma), not papillate . Fruit a berry, 1-4-seeded. Seeds endotestal, with an abaxial chalazal knot and an adaxial raphe with 2 furrows , one on each side; embryo straight, small; endosperm oily, proteinaceous, copious , ruminate .

About 14 genera and ca. 900 species: worldwide, but mostly in tropical and subtropical regions; eight genera and 146 species (87 endemic, two introduced ) in China.

The family is important for grapes, wine, and raisins (especially Vitis vinifera, and several other species and hybrids of Vitis) . There are a few ornamental climbers in the genera Ampelopsis, Cissus, Parthenocissus, and Tetrastigma, of which Parthenocissus tricuspidata of China and Japan and P. quinquefolia of eastern North America are well-known examples. Some plants (e.g., Ampelopsis japonica, Cissus quadrangularis, and Tetrastigma hemsleyanum) are highly regarded medicines.[1]

Genus Cissus

Lianas, woody or subwoody, hermaphroditic or polygamo-monoecious . Tendrils unbranched or bifurcate , sometimes racemosely branched. Leaves simple or palmately compound . Inflorescence a compound dichasium or an umbel, leaf-opposed. Flowers 4-merous. Calyx cupular, glabrous . Petals falling off separately. Stamens 4. Disk well developed, margin undulate or slightly 4-lobed. Style conspicuous ; stigma undivided or 2-divided. Berry obovoid or ellipsoid , 1- or 2-seeded. Seeds obovoid-elliptic or elliptic , base rostrate , apex rounded , chalazal knot at or near base; cross-section of endosperm M-shaped.

About 350 species: mainly in tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, Central and South America, and North America (Mexico) ; 15 species (two endemic) in China.[2]

Taxonomy

Notes

Publishing author : Planch. Publication : Monogr. Phan. [A.DC. & C.DC.] 5(2): 502 1887 [Oct 1887]

Similar Species

Members of the genus Cissus

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 24 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

C. antarctica (Kangaroo Ivy) · C. brevipedunculata (Amur Peppervine) · C. discolor (Painted Cissus) · C. erosa (Caro De Tres Hojas) · C. erosa erosa (Caro De Tres Hojas) · C. intermedia (Intermediate Treebine) · C. labrusca (Northern Fox Grape) · C. laciniata (Cut-Leaf Burr-Cucumber) · C. lanigera (Cissus) · C. nodosa (Javanese Treebine) · C. obovata (Spoonleaf Treebine) · C. quadrangularis (Veld Grape) · C. quadrangulus (Winged Treebine) · C. repens (Cissus) · C. rhombifolia (Grape Ivy) · C. rotundifolia (Arabian Wax Cissus) · C. striata (Miniature Grape Ivy) · C. trifolia (Threeleaf Cayratia) · C. trifoliata (Arizona Grape Ivy) · C. tuberculata (West Indian Treebine) · C. tuberosa (Cissus) · C. verticillata (Monkey Liana) · C. verticillata subsp. verticillata (Seasonvine) · C. vinifera (Wine Grape)

More Info

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Further Reading

• Li Chaoluan. 1998. Vitaceae (excluding Leea). In: Li Chaoluan, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 48(2): ii-vii, 1-3, 12-208.
• Li Chaoluan. 1998. Vitaceae (excluding Leea). In: Li Chaoluan, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 48(2): ii-vii, 1-3, 12-208.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.

Identifiers

• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 4586621

Footnotes

1. Prof. Zhiduan Chen, Hui Ren & Jun Wen "Vitaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 12 Page 33, 115, 173. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. Hui Ren & Jun Wen "Cissus". in Flora of China Vol. 12 Page 173, 184. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.