Gynostemma
Content
Description
Small or medium climbers to 2 m long, main branches subherbaceous or soft woody, leafy stem 1-2 mm diam., glabrous or finely hairy, roots tuberous or not;
Leaves:
Flowers (greenish)white, small, rotate;
Fruit ripening green, brown or purple, (sub)globose, less than 10 mm diam., with subpersistent perianth and styles (the latter becoming spaced and the perianth-scars leaving a thin line around the fruit), either a dry berry, not dehiscent or ± capsular, opening with 3 valves (not in Malesia).
Seeds 1-5, not much compressed, ovoid or subtriangular in outline, faces verrucose or wrinkled, margin narrow or broad, with ± square, grooved edge.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka present), South and NE India present, through China east to Japan and to New Guinea present
A genus of about 10 species, occurring in Sri Lanka and inSouth and NE India, ranging through China east to Japan and to New Guinea; in Malesia: 3 species.
Taxonomy
Although the androecium is characteristic for the genus Gynostemma, two species of the genus Neoalsomitra, namely N. angustipetala (Craib) Hutch. (from Thailand) and N. hederifolia (Moluccas), have a more or less similar androecium.
Citation
W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes 2007 – In: Blumea: 264
Blume 2008 – In: Fl. Thailand: 447
C.B.Clarke 1879 – In: Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 633
Hook.f. 1867 – In: Benth. & Hook.f., Gen. Pl. 1: 839
Backer 1964 – In: Backer & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 1: 305
Cogn. 1881 – In: A.DC. & C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 3: 912