Vines, twining or clambering. Stems green, glabrous to densely pilose. Leaves peltate or petiole inserted at base of blade. Leaf-blade usually reniform, sometimes nearly orbiculate, base cordate to truncate, margins entire, apex acute to rounded, often retuse, mucronate; surfaces abaxially pale, pilose to densely pilose, adaxially glabrous to pilose. Inflorescences: pistillate inflorescences fascicles from axils of normal leaves, individual flowers in axils of reduced leaves or bracts upon secondary axillary branches. Pistillate flowers: sepal 1, obovate, abaxially pubescent; petal 1; staminodes absent; pistil 1; ovary asymmetrically pouched, pilose [or glabrous]; stigma 3-5-lobed. [Staminate inflorescences and flowers, and mature fruits have not been found in the flora; descriptions given here are for extraterritorial species. Staminate inflorescences axillary, multiflowered cymes from normal leaves, reduced leaves, or bracts. Staminate flowers 2-ranked; sepals 4; petals 4, connate, corolla cup-shaped; stamens 4; anthers on column formed by fused filaments, 1-locular, dehiscing transversely. Drupes nearly globose, pubescent; endocarp bony, warty, ribbed.]

Distribution

Tropical and subtropical regions, North America, South America, Africa, and Asia

Discussion

Species 19 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

Rhodes, D. G. 1975. A revision of the genus Cissampelos. Phytologia 30(6): 415-484.

Lower Taxa

Cissampelos pareira