Volume 9 > Part 4 > Year 2008 > Page 450 > Cucurbitaceae > Gynostemma

2. Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makinowfo-0000713306

Bot. Mag. Tokyo 16: 179. 1902; Backer in Backer & Bakh. f., Fl. Java 1: 306. 1964; 1965; Keraudren in Aubrév. & J.-F.Leroy, Fl. Cambodge, Laos & Vietnam 15: 25, pl. 5: 147. 1975; P.H.Hô, Câyco Vietnam 1, 2: 727, f. 2017. 1991; W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes, Blumea 52: 268, f. 2: b-f; 3; pl. 1: b, d. 2007.— Vitis pentaphylla Thunb., Fl. Jap.: 105. 1784. Fig. 16–17.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Herbaceous or subwoody climber, 2–8 m long, root perennial but not(?) tuberous, main stem to 1 cm thick, bark fissured, grey; leafy stem slender, 1(–2) mm thick, glabrous or hairy, hairs grey or rarely brown. Leaves: blade simple or foliolate, subcircular (or ovate) in outline, 4–10(–17) cm diam.; leaflets 3–5(–7), ovate to narrowly elliptic, 3–10 by 1–5 cm, outer leaflets smallest, upper surface variously (appressed) hairy or subglabrous (except on the veins), lower surface (sub)glabrous, margin (remotely) finely (or coarsely) dentate, lateral veins 3–6(–7) pairs, veins faint or distinct; petiole 3–6 cm long, petiolules 0.2–0.7 cm long. Male inflorescences many-flowered, small or large, raceme-like or 2–4-branched, broadly paniculate, 5–15(–30) cm long, lateral branches to 10 cm long, hairy or subglabrous, ultimately with (1 or)2–5 flowers in fascicles (or in condensed racemes), finely hairy or subglabrous; peduncle 1–7 cm long; bracts 1–2(–5) mm long. Male flowers: pedicel 1–3(–7) mm long, the basal part persistent after flowering; perianth (2.5–)3–5(–8) mm diam.; receptacle shallowly hollowed, ca 0.5 mm wide; sepals narrowly elliptic-linear, (0.5–)1 mm long; petals triangular, (narrowly) elliptic, 1–2–3.5) by 0.5(–1) mm, apex acuminate or long-acuminate, adaxially usually hairy or papillose; staminal column 0.5(–1) mm long, synandrium 0.5(–1) mm diam.; anthers subglobose, sessile or very short-stalked, ca 0.2 mm diam. Female inflorescences as male inflorescences, but smaller. Female flowers: pedicel 2–4 mm long; perianth 2–4 mm diam.; ovary ca 1 mm diam., glabrous or sparsely hairy; styles (2 or) 3, each 0.5–1 mm long. Fruits a dry berry, globose, 5–8 mm diam., glabrous or (sparsely) hairy, green, pale yellow or blackish when ripe; fruiting pedicel 0.2–0.5 cm long. Seeds usually 2, subcircular, triangular or cordate in outline, 3–4 mm diam., little or moderately compressed, faces irregularly verrucose or wrinkled, margin narrow or broad.

Thailand : Widespread.

Distribution : Widespread, as the genus; in India and Sri Lanka, east through China, to Japan (type) and Korea, southeast through Indochina and Malesia to New Guinea. There are no records from Cambodia.

Ecology : In a variety of habitats: damp places in scrub and forests, often near water courses, also on limestone, 200–2,400 m alt., possible also at sea level in the lowlands. Flowering and fruiting: all through the year, but less frequent in April and May.

The following forms can be recognized for Thailand: