Cyphostemma

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Cyphostemma
Cyphostemma juttae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Vitales
Family: Vitaceae
Tribe: Cayratieae
Genus: Cyphostemma
(Planch.) Alston
Species

See text

Synonyms[1]

Cyphostemma is a flowering plant genus in the family Vitaceae, with around 250 species distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics. These species are caudiciform and used to belong to the genus Cissus.[1] The genus name comes from Greek kyphos, meaning hump, and stemma, meaning garland.

Within the Vitaceae, Cyphostemma is most closely related to Cayratia and Tetrastigma.[2] All species of Cyphostemma were once included in the genus Cissus but are now considered to be distinct.[3]

Distribution

They originate from Northeast Africa to southern Arabia,[3] in particular from Madagascar through to Indochina.

Species

The largest species in the genus is the so-called "Mauritian baobab" (Cyphostemma mappia), a case of island gigantism.
Cyphostemma elephantopus
Cyphostemma berries, here on Cyphostemma bainesii
Cyphostemma laza in cultivation

As of December 2025, Plants of the World Online accepts the following 245 species:[4]

See also

References

  1. "Name - Cyphostemma (Planch.) Alston". Tropicos. Saint Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
  2. Soejima, A.; Wen, J. (2006), "Phylogenetic analysis of the grape family (Vitaceae) based on three chloroplast markers", American Journal of Botany, 93 (2): 278–87, doi:10.3732/ajb.93.2.278, PMID 21646189
  3. G., Miller, Anthony (1988). Plants of Dhofar, the southern region of Oman : traditional, economic, and medicinal uses. Morris, Miranda., Stuart-Smith, Susanna., Oman. Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment. [Muscat]: Prepared and published by the Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, Sultanate of Oman. ISBN 978-071570808-8. OCLC 20798112.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. "Cyphostemma (Planch.) Alston". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2025. Retrieved 9 December 2025.