Cissus
Encyclopedia
Cissus is a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of approximately 350 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of woody
Woody plant
A woody plant is a plant that uses wood as its structural tissue. These are typically perennial plants whose stems and larger roots are reinforced with wood produced adjacent to the vascular tissues. The main stem, larger branches, and roots of these plants are usually covered by a layer of...

 vine
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...

s in the grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...

 family (Vitaceae
Vitaceae
Vitaceae are a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants including the grapevine and Virginia creeper. The family name is derived from the genus Vitis...

). They have a cosmopolitan distribution, though the majority are to be found in the tropics. In Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

 they are known as pirandai (பிரண்டை).

Medicinal

Cissus quadrangularis
Cissus quadrangularis
Cissus quadrangularis is a perennial plant of the grape family. It is commonly known as Veldt Grape or Devil's Backbone.- Distribution :...

 has been evaluated for potential medical uses. As a source of carotenoid
Carotenoid
Carotenoids are tetraterpenoid organic pigments that are naturally occurring in the chloroplasts and chromoplasts of plants and some other photosynthetic organisms like algae, some bacteria, and some types of fungus. Carotenoids can be synthesized fats and other basic organic metabolic building...

s, triterpenoid
Triterpenoid
Triterpenoids are terpenoid derviatives of triterpene molecules.They may have useful anti-cancer properties.Notable examples*Betulinic acid, possible anti-cancer drug*Bardoxolone methyl, inflammation modulator*Triterpenoid saponins...

s and ascorbic acid
Ascorbic acid
Ascorbic acid is a naturally occurring organic compound with antioxidant properties. It is a white solid, but impure samples can appear yellowish. It dissolves well in water to give mildly acidic solutions. Ascorbic acid is one form of vitamin C. The name is derived from a- and scorbutus , the...

 the extracts may have potential for medical effects, including "gastroprotective activity" and benefits in terms of "lipid metabolism and oxidative stress". Cissus quinquangularis was used by the Maasai people of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

 to relieve some of the symptoms of malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...

.

Ornamental

Cissus antarctica
Cissus antarctica
Cissus antarctica, called "kangaroo vine", is one of the best known species of the genus Cissus in the family of Vitaceae. It is a climbing plant, a vine, and comes from Australia.-Cultivation:...

 and C. alata are cultivated as garden plants.

Ecology

Cissus species are used as food plants by the larvae
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...

 of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...

 species including Hypercompe eridanus
Hypercompe
Hypercompe is a genus of moths of the family Arctiidae. There are over 80 species found throughout the Americas. Several species were formerly separated in Ecpantheria which is now regarded as a junior synonym. They are typically large moths with white forewings heavily spotted with black, and...

 and Hypercompe icasia
Hypercompe
Hypercompe is a genus of moths of the family Arctiidae. There are over 80 species found throughout the Americas. Several species were formerly separated in Ecpantheria which is now regarded as a junior synonym. They are typically large moths with white forewings heavily spotted with black, and...

.

Taxonomy

The generic name is derived from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 word κισσος (kissos), meaning "ivy
Ivy
Ivy, plural ivies is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan.-Description:On level ground they...

". In the 1980s the genus was split according to some details of the flower. The large caudiciform
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...

 species were moved to the new genus Cyphostemma
Cyphostemma
Cyphostemma is a flowering plant genus belonging to the family Vitaceae. These species are caudiciform and used to belong to the genus Cissus...

.

Selected species

  • Cissus adnata
    Cissus adnata
    Cissus adnata is a woody vine species in the genus Cissus found in Western Australia.Pallidol is a resveratrol dimer found in C. pallida.-External links:*...

     Roxb.
  • Cissus alata Jacq. – Grape Ivy
  • Cissus antarctica
    Cissus antarctica
    Cissus antarctica, called "kangaroo vine", is one of the best known species of the genus Cissus in the family of Vitaceae. It is a climbing plant, a vine, and comes from Australia.-Cultivation:...

     Vent.
    Étienne Pierre Ventenat
    Étienne Pierre Ventenat was a French botanist born in Limoges. He was the brother of naturalist Louis Ventenat ....

    – Kangaroo Treevine
  • Cissus campestris (Baker) Planch.
  • Cissus cucurbitina Standl.
  • Cissus discolor Blume
  • Cissus erosa Rich. – Caro de Tres Hojas
  • Cissus gongylodes (Baker) Burch. ex Planch. – Marble Treevine
  • Cissus hypoglauca
    Cissus hypoglauca
    Cissus hypoglauca, commonly known as Jungle Grape, Water Vine or Five leaf Water Vine, is a common Australian Vine. It is one of the better known climbing plants of the genus Cissus in the grape family...

     A.Gray
  • Cissus incisa (Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray) Des Moul.
  • Cissus intermedia A.Rich. – Intermediate Treebine
  • Cissus nodosa Blume – Javanese Treebine
  • Cissus oblonga
    Cissus oblonga
    Cissus oblonga is a species of vine native to dry rainforests of Queensland, Australia.- Sources :* http://keys.trin.org.au:8080/key-server/data/0e0f0504-0103-430d-8004-060d07080d04/media/Html/taxon/Cissus_oblonga.htm...

  • Cissus obliqua Ruiz & Pav.
    Ruiz y Pavón
    -Ruiz et Pavón:Ruiz y Pavón Spanish form of the combination Ruiz et Pavón, as used as authority in plant species.-Joseph Pavón:Jose Antonio Pavón y Jimenez Spanish botanist, with Hipólito Ruiz López and the French specialist Dombey visited between 1779 and 1788 Chile, Peru and other South American...

  • Cissus paniculata
  • Cissus pentagona Roxb.
  • Cissus quadrangularis
    Cissus quadrangularis
    Cissus quadrangularis is a perennial plant of the grape family. It is commonly known as Veldt Grape or Devil's Backbone.- Distribution :...

     L. – Veld grape
  • Cissus repanda Vahl
  • Cissus repens Lam.
  • Cissus rotundifolia Vahl – Venezuelan Treebine
  • Cissus striata
    Cissus striata
    Cissus striata is a climbing plant of the vitaceae family. The plant is found in south-central Chile with a distribution range from Coquimbo to Los Lagos Region. It is also found in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. It has a woody stem that looks reddish when it gets older...

     Ruiz & Pav. (Chile, Argentina, Brazil)
  • Cissus sulcicaulis (Baker) Planch.
  • Cissus trifoliata
    Cissus trifoliata
    Cissus trifoliata, known variously as Possum-grape, Sorrelvine, or Vine-sorrel, is a New World plant species in the grape family...

     (L.) L. – Sorrelvine
  • Cissus tuberosa
    Cissus tuberosa
    Cissus tuberosa is a species of the Cissus genus in the Vitaceae family. It is also incorrectly known as Vitis tuberosa.-Distribution:...

  • Cissus verticillata (L.) Nicolson & C.E.Jarvis – Seasonvine

Formerly placed here

  • Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata (Maxim.) Momiy (as C. brevipedunculata Maxim.)
  • Ampelopsis orientalis (Lam.) Planch. (as C. orientalis Lam.)
  • Ampelopsis vitifolia Planch. (as C. vitifolia Boiss.)
  • Cayratia geniculata
    Cayratia geniculata
    Cayratia geniculata is a species of plant native to Asia. It has woody vines and 3-foliolate leaves....

     (Blume) Gagnep. (as C. geniculata Blume)
  • Cayratia trifolia
    Cayratia trifolia
    Cayratia trifolia is a species of liana plant native to Australia and Asia. It has black-colored berries, and its leaves contain several flavonoids, such as cyanidin and delphinidin. Hydrocyanic acid is present in the stem, leaves and roots....

     (L.) Domin (as C. trifolia (L.) K.Schum.)
  • Cyphostemma bainesii
    Cyphostemma bainesii
    Cyphostemma bainesii is a species of tree native to Namibia in Southern Africa. It grows up to 1 m in height, with green leaves up to 27 centimeters long by 11 wide....

     (Hook.f.) Desc. (as C. bainesii (Hook.f.) Gilg & M.Brandt)
  • Cyphostemma cirrhosum
    Cyphostemma cirrhosum
    Cyphostemma cirrhosum is a species of plant native to Southern Africa. It is a soft-stemmed creeper with succulent, yellowish-green leaves. It bears yellow flowers and red, oval-shaped fruit....

     (Thunb.) Desc. (as C. cirrhosa (Thunb.) Willd.)
  • Cyphostemma currorii
    Cyphostemma currorii
    Cyphostemma currorii is a succulent tree belonging to the family Vitaceae and reaching a height of 6 meters or more. This plant is also known as cobas tree and butter tree. Cyphostemma currorii is found in hot, arid rocky places, and has been seen from southern Angola to Namibia and is common on...

     (Hook.f.) Desc. (as C. currorii Hook.f. or C. crameriana Schinz)
  • Cyphostemma juttae
    Cyphostemma juttae
    Cyphostemma juttae is a slow-growing succulent species of Cyphostemma, well-known as an ornamental plant. The plant is also known as bastard cobas, wild grape, tree grape, Namibian grape, and Droog-my-keel. This species can reach 6 feet tall and has large shiny leaves.-References:*van Wyk, B. and...

     (Dinter & Gilg) Desc. (as C. juttae Dinter & Gilg)
  • Rhoicissus tomentosa
    Rhoicissus tomentosa
    Rhoicissus tomentosa is a vigorous, evergreen vine that is indigenous to the afro-montane forests of southern Africa...

     (Lam.) Wild & R.B.Drumm. (as C. capensis Willd. or C. tomentosa Lam.)
  • Strychnos umbellata (Lour.) Merr. (as C. umbellata Lour.)
  • Tetrastigma leucostaphylum (Dennst.) Alston ex Mabb. (as C. lanceolaria Roxb. or C. leucostaphyla Dennst.)
  • Tetrastigma serrulatum (Roxb.) Planch. (as C. serrulata Roxb.)

External links

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