Twining lianas, sometimes rambling shrubs or perennial herbs, rarely erect
Leaves
simple, sometimes subpeltate, ovate or cordate, entire or angular
Inflorescences
axillary, with male flowers in paniculate cymes; female flowers in corymbose cymules which are either solitary or clustered or arranged in ± false racemes, less developed than male flowers
Male flowers
: sepals (3)4(5), obovate, often spreading, mostly dorsally pilose; petals 2-4, connate into a cup- or saucer-shaped corolla; stamens connate into a 4-10-locular synandrium, expanded and peltate above; anthers sessile, in a marginal ring on disc of staminal column, with transverse dehiscence
Female flowers
: sepal 1, rarely more, obovate, dorsally pilose; petal l, rarely 2 or 3, smaller than sepal and alternating with sepals, both often deciduous; staminodes 0; carpel 1, ± villous; stigma 3-fid
Drupe
subglobose, often pilose, bent so that apex with stigma approaches pedicel; endocarp bony, horseshoe-shaped, with 1 dorsal ridge, sides with small transverse often verrucose ribs; condyle narrowly obovate
Seed
with sparse endosperm; embryo curved; cotyledons appressed
x = 12
Nomenclature:
Cissampelos
L.
Linnaeus: 1031 (1753) in part
Linnaeus: 455 (1754) in part
Jussieu: 285 (1789)
Candolle: 531 (1817) in part
Candolle: 100 (1824) in part
Harvey: 10 (1860) in part
Bentham: 37 (1862) in part
Miers: 128 (1866)
Oliver: 45 (1868)
Miers: 127 (1871)
Baillon: 41 (1872)
Prantl: 84 (1891)
Engler: 394 (1899)
Diels: 283 (1910)
Troupin: 137 (1955)
Troupin: 23 (1956)
Troupin: 165 (1960)
Troupin: 262 (1962)
Forman: 355 (1968)
Friedrich-Holzhammer: 3 (1968)
Troupin & Gonçalves: 18 (1973)
Benvenuto: 63 (1974)
Rhodes: 415 (1975)
Kessler: 416 (1993)
Thulin: 28 (1993)
Distribution & Notes:
Global
: Species ± 20, North and South America, Asia, tropical and southern Africa as well as Madagascar
Southern Africa
: Species 4, fairly widespread (except Free State and Lesotho); in forest, scrub and deciduous bushland
References:
BAILLON, H.E. 1872. Ménispermacées, Berbéridacées.
Histoire des plantes
3. Hachette & Co., Paris
BENTHAM, G. 1862.
Menispermaceae
. In G. Bentham & J.D. Hooker,
Genera plantarum
1. Lovell Reeve & Co., London
JUSSIEU, A.L. DE. 1789. Menisperma, les Ménispermes.
Genera plantarum secundum ordines naturales disposita
. Herissant & Barrois, Paris
KESSLER, P.J.A. 1993.
Menispermaceae
. In K. Kubitzki, J.G. Rohwer & V. Bittrich,
The families and genera of vascular plants - dicotyledons
2. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
LINNAEUS, C. 1753.
Species plantarum
. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
LINNAEUS, C. 1754.
Genera plantarum
, edn 5. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
MIERS, J. 1866. A few remarks on the
Menispermaceae
.
Annals and Magazine of Natural History
, Ser. 3, Vol. 18
MIERS, J. 1871. A complete monograph of the
Menispermaceae
.
Contributions to Botany
3(1). Williams & Norgate, London
OLIVER, D. 1868.
Menispermaceae
.
Flora of tropical Africa
1
PRANTL, K. 1891.
Menispermaceae
.
Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien
3,2
RHODES, D.G. 1975. A revision of the genus
Cissampelos
.
Phytologia
30
THULIN, M. 1993.
Menispermaceae
.
Flora of Somalia
1
TROUPIN, G. 1955. Contribution à l'étude des Ménispermacées africaines III.
Bulletin du Jardin Botanique de l'État, Bruxelles
25
TROUPIN, G. 1956.
Flora of tropical East Africa
.
Menispermaceae
TROUPIN, G. 1960.
Menispermaceae
.
Flora zambesiaca
1
TROUPIN, G. 1962. Monographie des
Menispermaceae
africaines.
Académie Royale des Sciences d'Outre-Mer, Classe des sciences naturelles et médicales mémoires
13
TROUPIN, G. & GONÇALVES, M.L. 1973.
Menispermaceae
.
Flora de Moçambique
7
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