Menispermaceae Juss.

Menispermaceae, G. Troupin. Flora Zambesiaca 1:1. 1960

Morphology General Habit

Twining or rarely erect shrubs or small trees, dioecious

Morphology General Wood

Wood in cross-section showing broad medullary rays

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, petiolate, exstipulate, sometimes peltate, without stipules, usually simple, entire or lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence various, many-flowered, the flowers rarely solitary or geminate, axillary or borne on the leafless wood

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers small, actinomorphic, rarely slightly irregular Female flowers: sepals and petals generally as in male flowers, sometimes not so numerous; staminodes present or absent; carpels 3–6 or more, rarely 1, free; ovules 2, soon reduced to 1 by abortion, attached to the ventral suture Male flowers: sepals 3–12 or more, rarely 1, free or slightly connate, imbricate or valvate; petals 1–6 or absent, free or connate, usually imbricate; stamens 3–6 or indefinite, rarely 2, free or variously united

sex Male

Male flowers: sepals 3–12 or more, rarely 1, free or slightly connate, imbricate or valvate; petals 1–6 or absent, free or connate, usually imbricate; stamens 3–6 or indefinite, rarely 2, free or variously united

sex Female

Female flowers: sepals and petals generally as in male flowers, sometimes not so numerous; staminodes present or absent; carpels 3–6 or more, rarely 1, free; ovules 2, soon reduced to 1 by abortion, attached to the ventral suture

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruiting carpels drupaceous, with the scar of the style subterminal or near the base by excentric growth; exocarp membranous or subcoriaceous, mesocarp more or less pulpy, endocarp often chartaceous or bony, rugose, tuberculate or ribbed and with the septum of the condyle,2 if any, perforated or not

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds often curved and horseshoe-shaped, with uniform or ruminate endosperm, or without endosperm

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Dioecious trees, shrubs, or vines with alternate entire leaves; stipules lacking

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers minute and inconspicuous, in axillary bracteate panicles

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals and petals various in number in dimerous or trimerous whorls, or sometimes solitary

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens of male flowers 4 or 6; staminodes in female flowers 6 or lacking; filaments free or united into a column

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels

Carpels 3 or 1, free, each with a single ovule

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a drupelet, often succulent; seeds horseshoe-shaped, with large embryo and scanty endosperm.

Distribution

A chiefly tropical family with about 65 genera and 400 species.

Menispermaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit

Twining, or rarely erect shrubs or small trees, with the wood in cross-section showing broad medullary rays

Morphology Leaves

Leaves petiolate, sometimes peltate, alternate, exstipulate, usually simple, rarely trifoliolate, or palmately lobed and nerved

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences cymose, paniculate, racemose, capitulate, fasciculate, or rarely the flowers solitary or geminate, axillary or borne on the leafless wood

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers small, inconspicuously coloured, unisexual, dioecious, actinomorphic, rarely slightly zygomorphic Male flowers: sepals 3–12 or more, rarely 1, generally in series, or slightly connate, imbricate or rarely valvate, the outer smaller; petals 1–6, usually in series, minute or absent, free, or rarely connate, usually imbricate; stamens 3–6 or indefinite, rarely 2, when few opposite the sepals, free or variously united; anthers short Female flowers: sepals and petals as in male flowers; staminodes present or absent; carpels 3–6 or more, rarely 1, free, sessile or stipitate; styles terminal or subterminal, rarely recurved; stigma terminal, entire or lobed; ovules 2, soon reduced to 1 by abortion, attached to the ventral suture

sex Male

Male flowers: sepals 3–12 or more, rarely 1, generally in series, or slightly connate, imbricate or rarely valvate, the outer smaller; petals 1–6, usually in series, minute or absent, free, or rarely connate, usually imbricate; stamens 3–6 or indefinite, rarely 2, when few opposite the sepals, free or variously united; anthers short

sex Female

Female flowers: sepals and petals as in male flowers; staminodes present or absent; carpels 3–6 or more, rarely 1, free, sessile or stipitate; styles terminal or subterminal, rarely recurved; stigma terminal, entire or lobed; ovules 2, soon reduced to 1 by abortion, attached to the ventral suture

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruiting carpels drupaceous, with the scar of the style subterminal or near the base by excentric growth, sessile or stipitate; exocarp membranous or subcoriaceous, mesocarp more or less pulpy, endocarp often chartaceous or bony, rugose, tuberculate or ribbed; seed often curved in the form of a horseshoe, with uniform or ruminate endosperm or without endosperm; embryo often curved, with a small radicle and flat or semi–terete cotyledons

Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Morphology General Habit

Woody (sometimes herbaceous) vines, occasionally herbs, shrubs or trees

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits fleshy or non- fleshy drupe-like monocarps, sometimes aggregated, often with a bony or woody endocarp, single-seeded; seeds usually curved; endosperm ruminate, not ruminate or absent.

Distribution

Widely distributed throughout the Neotropics, particularly in the humid lowlands, although some genera (e.g. Cissampelos) also occur in arid areas. Native to the Neotropics.

Diagnostic

Key differences from similar families: In a sterile condition certain Menispermaceae may be confused with Cucurbitaceae (from which they differ in the lack of tendrils) or Dioscoreaceae (which never have apically flexed pulvinae and whose branchlets often have swollen nodes). They may also be confused with Aristolochiaceae (which also lack the apically flexed pulvinae and sometimes have leafy stipules), and possibly Sparattanthelium (Hernandiaceae), which differs in its ranalean odour and simplestem structure. The leaves of some lianas (e.g. Abuta spp.) may perhaps be confused with those of Loganiaceae (Strychnos), from which they differ in their alternate (rather than opposite) arrangement. Usually vines or lianas with a few exceptions: Abuta grandifolia (Mart.) Sandwith is a tree, and a few species such as Cissampelos ovalifolia DC. are herbaceous. Petiole often pulvinate at apex (and/or at base) and generally visibly flexed. Leaves commonly more or less sub-peltate (sometimes conspicuously so), sometimes drying blackish. Curved seed ('moonseed') often with ruminateendosperm and surrounded by bony, ornamented endocarp. Leaf venation usually palmate (though occasionally pinnate). Petals and sepals commonly in multiples of three (not Cissampelos). Cross-section of woody stems generally made up of concentric (often asymmetrical) rings of vessels with medullary rays. Wood often bitter to the taste, sometimes yellow or yellowish. Distinguishing characters (always present): Simplealternate leaves, though one species - Disciphania cujibensis (R. Knuth) Sandwith - palmately compound. Monocarpous one-seeded fruits. Unisexual flowers. [adapted from Gentry (1993)]   Habit: Herbaceous vines with solitary fruits - Cissampelos (though one species is a woody herb).   Fruits: Black or purple fleshy drupes - Odontocarya or Disciphania. Hard, red/orange/black monocarps - Abuta, Anomospermum and relatives. Hard, grey or tan-pubescent monocarps - Chondrodendron, Curarea and relatives [if 6 or more of these per flower - Chondrodendron or Sciadotenia ].   Petioles:  Pulvinately flexuous at base [sometimes also pulvinate at apex] - Odontocarya, Disciphania, Borismene.   Seeds: Endosperm not ruminate - Odontocarya, Disciphania, Borismene. Endosperm absent - Chondrodendron, Curarea, Cionomene, Sciadotenia, Hyperbaena. Endospermruminate - Telitoxicum, Abuta and Caryomene (seed U-shaped); Anomospermum, Orthomene (seed straight or J-shaped). Leaf margins: Dentate - Synandropus .

Note

Most species of this family contain powerful alkaloids with biochemical activity. Many are used in medicines (e.g. for stomach disorders, malaria). Several are also used in the preparation of arrow and dart poisons, including Curarea, Chondrodendron, Abuta, Telitoxicum.  Chondrodendron tomentosum Ruiz & Pav. is the original natural source of the alkaloid tubocurarine, used as a muscle relaxant in surgical procedures. Some Menispermaceae (e.g. Abuta grandifolia (Mart.) Sandwith) have edible fruits. Number of genera: Seventeen genera recorded in the Neotropics, including: Abuta Aubl. Anomospermum Miers Borismene Barneby Caryomene Barneby & Krukoff Chondrodendron Ruíz & Pavón Cionomene Krukoff Cissampelos L. Curarea Barneby & Krukoff Disciphania Eichler Elephantomene Barneby & Krukoff Hyperbaena Miers ex. Benth. Odontocarya Miers. Orthomene Barneby & Krukoff Sciadotenia Miers. Synandropus A.C. Sm. Telitoxicum Mold. Tinospora Miers. [introduced] Ungulipetalum Notes on delimitation: A clearly defined family situated within the Ranunculales, characterized by the presence of drupelets, a chondyle and large embryos (Ortiz et al., 2007). Placed by phylogenetic analyses close to the Berberidaceae, Ranunculaceae and Papaveraceae (Barneby & White, 2004).

Timothy Utteridge & Gemma Bramley (2020). The Kew Tropical Plant Families Identification Handbook, Second Edition. Kew Publishing Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Note

Vines with broad rays in the wood. Leaves alternate, simple, often peltate, venation usually palmate; petioles swollen top and bottom. Flowers unisexual, small. Fruit of several drupelets, often strongly curved.

Recognition

Characters of similar families: Annonaceae: venation pinnate, flowers usually larger and petals more colourful, monocarps not drupaceous, several flat seeds in each monocarp. Cucurbitaceae: tendrillate climbers, ovary inferior, fruit a berry. Dioscoreaceae: ovary inferior and usually winged, fruit a dry capsule. Piperaceae: stems with swollen nodes, inflorescence of very small flowers in a spike, perianth lacking. Vitaceae: climbers with tendrils, leaf margins dentate to lobed and rarely entire, fruit a single berry.

Morphology General Habit

Climbing or twining vines, rarely trees or shrubs; stems without spines; wood often with conspicuous rays

Morphology General Sap

Sap sometimes present

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules absent

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, simple, sometimes peltate; margin usually entire, rarely dentate, sometimes palmately lobed, rarely trifoliolate; venation often palmate; petiole swollen at apex and base, sometimes leaving a discoid scar on the stem after abscission

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary or cauliflorous, rarely terminal, often umbelliform cymes, compound umbels, or racemes, rarely a single flower

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers unisexual (plants dioecious), usually small, actinomorphic; sepals often in whorls of (2 or)3(or 4), rarely 1, free or rarely connate; petals usually 3–6 in 1 or 2 whorls, sometimes absent, free, rarely connate; stamens (2–)6–8(– many), filaments free or connate, stamens sometimes fused into synandrium; anthers dehiscing longitudinally or transversely, staminodes sometimes present in female flowers; carpels 1–6(–many), free, stigma lobed or divided, rarely entire, ovules 2 (reducing to 1 by abortion), pistillodes very small or absent in male flower

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit consisting of 1–6(–10) drupelets, straight or horseshoe-shaped; endocarp usually bony or woody, rugose to spiny, rarely smooth, sides usually with central smooth and sunken condyle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed usually curved.

Distribution

A pantropical family of 70 genera and c. 450 species, extending into temperate north America and Asia; many small genera, largest groups are Tinospora, Cyclea, Stephania, and Odontocarya (all with c. 30 species).

Description Author

Timothy Utteridge