Stephania japonica
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Snake vine | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Snake vine at Palm Beach, Australia | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Menispermaceae |
| Genus: | Stephania |
| Species: | S. japonica |
| Binomial name | |
| Stephania japonica | |
| Synonyms | |
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Stephania japonica, known as snake vine,[2] is a vine often seen in sheltered areas near the sea.
A dioecious vine without prickles. Greenish small flowers form on compound umbels, growing from the leaf axils in the warmer months. Inflorescences are 4 to 8 cm long. The fruit is an oval shaped, orange or red drupe, 2 to 5 mm long. A feature of this plant is the peltate leaves, (the stem is attached to the leaf, away from the leaf edge).
Distribution
A widespread vine seen as far south as Eden, New South Wales, north through Queensland. Also seen in Japan, India, Nepal, and many other areas of south-east Asia and the Pacific region. The original specimen was collected in Japan, hence the specific epithet “japonica”.[3] The variety in New South Wales is known as bicolor, as the under-side of the leaf is somewhat paler than above.