Cocculus MENISPERMACEAE Stephania 



64. MENISPERMACEAE Moonseed Family RfBf4 (Fang Chi K'o) 

 Twining dioecious vines with alternate simple, usually palmately veined Ivs.: fis. 

 small, in axillary clusters; carpels usually 3, each becoming a curved drupe with a 

 curved or crescent-shaped sculptured endocarp. About 65 genera with 200 species; 8 

 genera and over 10 species in China. 



Key to the Genera 

 A. Lvs. not peltate. 



Lvs. ovate to ovate-oblong, 4-9 cm. long, entire and obtuse or 

 3-lobed : style cylindric, with lateral stigma: drupe ovoid or 



subglobose; stone compressed, laterally ribbed 1. Cocculus 



Lvs. broad-ovate, 6-15 cm. long, entire and acuminate (sometimes 

 abruptly and briefly so) or 5-7-lobed : style recurved, with 

 lobulate stigma : stone curved, with a tubercled dorsal rib 



and numerous transverse ribs 2. Sinomenium 



AA. Lvs. peltate. 



Carpels 2-4 : lvs. lobed 3. Menispermum 



Carpel 1 : lvs. usually entire 4. Stephania 



1. Cocculus DC. Willi (Ch'ing T'eng Shu) 

 Twining shrubs, the brs. often herbaceous: lvs. ovate to ovate-oblong, 4-9 cm. 

 long, entire and obtuse or 3-lobed: fis. in panicles or racemes; sepals and petals 6; 

 style cylindric, with lateral stigma: drupe ovoid or subglobose; stone of the fr. 

 compressed and laterally ribbed. 11 species, in Asia, Africa, North America, the 

 Hawaiian Islands; 3 in China. (Greek: latinized diminutive of kokkos, berry.) 



1. Cocculus trilobus (Thunb.) DC. WH (Ch'ing T'eng; Green Vine) (R.M. 243). 

 Trailing woody vine; fis. VI-VIII; fr. bluish purple, VII-LX. China, Japan, 

 Philippine Islands; locally in An., Che., Hon., Ki., Ku. Brushland. Fig. 116. 



2. Sinomenium Diels K/BM (Ch'in T'eng Shu) 



Deciduous twining vine, woody at the base: lvs. long-petioled; the petioles angled 

 sharply at the base; blades broad-ovate, palmately lobed or entire and acuminate 

 (sometimes abruptly and briefly so) 6-15 cm. long: fls. in large panicles; sepals and 

 petals 6; male fls. with 9-12 stamens; pistillate fls. with 3 carpels and 9 staminodes; 

 style recurved with lobulate stigma: stone of drupe curved, ivith a tubercled dorsal 

 rib and numerous transverse ribs. One species, in eastern Asia. (Latin: Sinae, 

 Chinese, and Greek: mensis, moon, meaning Chinese Moonseed.) 



1. Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. & Wils. (R.M. 243). Twining vine; fls. VI; 

 fr. X. Japan, Central China; locally in An., Che., Hup., Ki, Brushland. 



3. Menispermum Linn. Moonseed WiWiUWk (Pien Fu Ko Shu) 

 Climbing vines (ours apparently herbaceous) with lobed peltate lvs.: sepals 4-10; 

 petals 6-9; carpels 2-4: stone of the drupe crescent-shaped. 2 species, one in eastern 

 Asia and one in eastern North America. (Greek: men, moon; and sperma, seed.) 



1. Menispermum dahuricum DC. JgJBJI ( p i en Fu Ko; Bat Pueraria) (R.M. 244). 

 Herbaceous vine; fls. IV; fr. VII. Eastern Asia; locally in An., Ku. Brushland. 



4. Stephania Lour. i^jHH (Ch'ien Chin T'eng Shu) 

 Climbing vines (ours apparently herbaceous) with peltate lvs.: fls. in axillary 

 cymose umbels; sepals; 3-10; petals 3-5; carpel 1: stone of the drupe crescent-shaped . 



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