Diplocyclos palmatus

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Diplocyclos palmatus

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Description

Climber 2-7 m tall, perennial, old plants with tuberous rootstock, leafy stem 1.5-3 (-4) mm diam., glabrous except few hairs in young parts. Leaves: Inflorescences up to 10 male flowers of various stage of development, mostly accompanied by up to 5 female flowers, or a few female flowers without male flowers. Fruit 1-5 in a cluster at the nodes, ripening bright red with (usually) pure white bands or rows of white blotches, 1.5-2(-2.5) cm diam.; Seeds c. 12 or less, grey or pale brown, obovoid, 5(-8) by 2.5-3 by c. 4 mm, narrowed to the base, faces much protruding, smooth, margin broad.

Distribution

Africa present, Asia-Temperate: China South-Central (Yunnan present), Asia-Tropical: Jawa (Jawa present); Lesser Sunda Is. present; Maluku (Maluku present); New Guinea present; Philippines (Philippines present); Sulawesi (Sulawesi present); Sumatera (Sumatera present), Buru present, Japan present, Norfolk Is present, Papua New Guinea present, Ryukyu Is present, SE Asia present, West Papua absent, from India and South China present, south-east to North and NE Australia present, western Pacific present
Widely distributed in Africa and SE Asia, from India and South China (not recorded for Yunnan), Japan (Ryukyu Is.) through Indochinasouth-east to North and NE Australia and western Pacific, incl. Norfolk Is.; in Malesia: Sumatra, Java, Philippines, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Islands, Moluccas (Buru), and New Guinea (Papua New Guinea); not yet recorded from West Papua

Notes

1 Telford (1982) remarks that plants from eastern Malesia, the Pacific and Australia, with larger ellipsoid fruits (Bryonia affinis) may be subspecifically distinct. 2 Cooked shoots are eaten in Papua New Guinea and cooked young fruits in Sulawesi ().

Citation

Naudin 1859 – In: Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot.: 139
auct. non (L.) Naudin: Naudin 1866 – In: Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot.: 30
Craib 1931: Fl. Siam.: 762
Backer 1964 – In: Backer & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 1: 301
Cogn. 1881 – In: A.DC. & C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 3: 478
Keraudren 1975: p. 109. – In: Aubrév. & J.-F.Leroy, Fl. Camb., Laos, Viêt-Nam 15: pl. 11: 4-7
Cogn. 1881 – In: A.DC. & C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 3: 477
Cogn. & Harms 1924 – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 88: 160
I.Telford 1982 – In: Fl. Australia: 178
W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes 2008 – In: Fl. Thailand: 432