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VITACEAE

Rhoicissus

Planch.

Source:

SSA

Synonym(s):

Cissus L. in part; Harvey: 249 (1860).

Description:

Shrubs, often with scandent branches, or +/- woody climbers. Tendrils leaf-opposed, sometimes 0. Leaves simple or 3-foliolate, rarely digitately 5-foliolate, usually petiolate, margins entire or variously toothed; stipules usually present. Flowers in condensed, leaf-opposed thyrsoid cymes; peduncles occasionally cirrhose; buds subglobose. Calyx entire or slightly lobed. Corolla green, greenish yellow, yellow or cream; petals (4)5 or 6, thickened or fleshy at apex. Disc thick, entire, with ovary immersed in it. Stamens as many as petals, conspicuously bending over gynoecium. Ovary with 2 incompletely separated locules, each with 2 ovules; style simple; stigma capitate. Fruit subglobose, glabrous, often warted. Seeds 1 or 2(-4), smooth or rugose, usually with a conspicuous longitudinal dorsal furrow and with or without basal projection. x = 10 (polyploidy).

Distribution:

Species 10, in Africa; 7 in the eastern parts of sthn Afr., absent from Namibia, Botswana and Northern Cape.

Cyphostemma

(Planch.) Alston

Source:

SSA

Synonym(s):

Cissus L. sect. Cyphostemma Planch.: 472 (1887), as Cyphostomma.

Description:

Erect, prostrate or climbing, perennial herbs, shrubs or trees with succulent stems usually caudiciform. Tendrils leaf-opposed or 0. Leaves digitately 3-9-foliolate, sometimes simple or palmate, sessile or petiolate, margins variously toothed; stipules present. Flowers in leaf-opposed or axillary, +/- corymbose cymes; buds cylindric or flask-shaped and constricted +/- in middle, apex rounded and often +/- inflated. Calyx entire or 4-toothed. Corolla yellow, yellowish green, sometimes with maroon in upper part; petals 4, hooded at apex, becoming deflexed, soon deciduous. Disc of 4 fleshy, truncate or conical glands, +/- free from each other, but somewhat adnate to ovary. Stamens 4; anthers with straight filaments. Ovary with 2 incompletely separated locules, each with 2 ovules; style simple, subulate; stigma minutely 2-fid, subentire or subcapitate. Fruit a berry, ovoid or ellipsoid, glabrous or variously hairy. Seed usually 1, often crested and rugose. x = 11 (polyploidy).

Distribution:

Species +/- 250, cosmopolitan in tropical and subtropical regions; 34 in sthn Afr., except in Northern and Western Cape.

Cissus

Source:

SSA

Synonym(s):

Cissus sect. Eucissus Planch.: 471 (1887).

Description:

Erect or semiscandent shrubs or climbers. Tendrils leaf-opposed or 0. Leaves simple or sometimes deeply lobed or digitately 3-7-foliolate, margins variously toothed, rarely entire; stipules present. Flowers in leaf-opposed or terminal, rarely axillary cymes with flowers in umbels on ultimate branchlets; buds conical to ovoid. Calyx entire or 4-lobed. Corolla dull yellow or yellow; petals 4, hooded at apex. Disc +/- adnate to ovary, thick, annular, entire or lobed. Stamens 4; filaments short. Style simple, subulate; stigma subcapitate. Fruit globose, ellipsoid or ovoid. Seed usually 1, oblong, ovoid or subspherical, often abruptly narrowed at one end and sometimes with a dorsal crest. x = 12 (10, 11, 13, 14) (high polyploidy).

Distribution:

Species +/- 200, fairly cosmopolitan in tropical and subtropical regions; 8 in sthn Afr., except in the Northern and Western Cape.

Cayratia

Juss.

Source:

SSA

Description:

Climbing, perennial herbs. Tendrils present, leaf-opposed. Leaves 3-foliolate or pedately 5-9-foliolate, petiolate, margins toothed; stipules present. Flowers unisexual or bisexual; in divaricately-branched axillary cymes; buds ovoid or depressed-globose, not constricted in middle. Calyx entire. Corolla yellowish green; petals 4, hooded at apex. Stamens 4; filaments short. Disc annular, thin, undulate. Ovary immersed in disc; style simple, subulate; stigma capitate. Fruit globose or depressed-globose, rather thinly fleshy. Seeds 2-4, usually with the two inner faces flat and the outer concave. x = 10 (12) (high polyploidy).

Distribution:

Species 50, in tropical areas of the Old World; 1 in sthn Afr.: Cayratia gracilis (Guill. & Perr.) Suess., Mpumalanga.

Ampelocissus

Planch.

Source:

SSA

Synonym(s):

Botria Lour.: 153 (1790).

Description:

Perennial herbs, climbers or lianes. Tendrils usually present, arising from peduncle. Leaves simple or digitately 3-5-foliolate, margins entire or toothed; leaflets sessile or petiolate; stipules deltate, small. Flowers in dense or lax cymes or paniculate; buds subglobose. Calyx entire or obscurely 5-lobed. Corolla usually dark red; petals 5, oblong. Disc furrowed, +/- entire, clasping ovary. Stamens 5; filaments half to two-thirds as long as petals. Ovary ribbed; style conical, very short; stigma capitate. Fruit subglobose, glabrous. Seeds usually 4, flattened, ellipsoid with a strongly marked, longitudinal keel on one side and a medium furrow or pit on the other, variously rugose. x = 10 (high polyploidy).

Distribution:

Species 100, cosmopolitan in the tropics; 1 species: Ampelocissus africana (Lour.) Merr. is found in the northern parts of Namibia, and A. obtusata (Welw. ex Baker) Planch. subsp. kirkiana (Planch.) Wild & R.B.Drumm. occurs in Namibia, Botswana and Northern Province.

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VITACEAE