锡生藤 xi sheng teng

Cissampelos hirsuta Buchanan-Hamilton ex Candolle, Syst. Nat. 1: 535. 1817.

Woody vines. Branches slender, striate, usually densely pubescent, rarely subglabrous. Petioles shorter than leaf blade, often densely pubescent; leaf blade cordate-rotund or rotund, 2-5(-12) cm long and wide, papery, abaxially densely pubescent, adaxially sparsely pubescent, base often cordate, sometimes subtruncate, rarely slightly rounded, apex often emarginate, with a mucronate acumen, palmately 5-7-veined, slightly prominent abaxially. Male inflorescences axillary, solitary or few fascicled, corymbose cymes, pubescent. Male flowers: sepals 1.2-1.5 mm, pilose outside; corolla cupuliform; synandrium ca. 0.7 mm. Female inflorescences thyrsoid, narrow, up to 18 cm, usually less than 10 cm; bracts foliaceous and suborbicular, overlapping along rachis, densely pubescent. Female flowers: sepals broadly obovate, ca. 1.5 mm; petals minute, ca. 0.7 mm. Drupes pubescent; endocarp broadly obovate, 3-5 mm, abaxially bearing 2 rows of transverse ridges on both surfaces of rib; condyle bordered by a horseshoe-shaped ridge.

Forests. NW Guangxi, SW Guizhou, S Yunnan [pantropical].

Cissampelos pareira var. pareira, with glabrous leaves, was described from the West Indies and seems to be restricted to that region, whereas var. hirsuta is pantropical.