Cissus

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Vitaceae
Cissus quadrangularis
Cissus quadrangularis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Vitales
Family: Vitaceae
Genus: Cissus
Species

About 350, including:

  • Cissus antarctica - kangaroo treevine
  • Cissus gongylodes - marble treevine
  • Cissus hypoglauca
  • Cissus quadrangularis - veld grape
  • Cissus rhombifolia - grape Ivy
  • Cissus striata
  • Cissus trifoliata - sorrelvine
  • Cissus tuberosa
  • Cissus verticillata - seasonvine

Cissus is a genus of approximately 350 species of woody climber in the grape family (Vitaceae). They have a cosmopolitan distribution, though the majority are to be found in the tropics.

Among the most common species, Cissus antarctica and Cissus rhombifolia are garden plants. Cissus striata is a woody wine native from South America, mainly from Chile.

Cissus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Hypercompe eridanus and Hypercompe icasia.

[edit] Taxonomy note

In the 1980's the genus was split according to some details of the flower. The large caudiciform species were moved to the new genus Cyphostemma.

[edit] External links