Kingdom Plantae Family Cucurbitaceae | Order Cucurbitales Genus Gynostemma
Blume | |
Gynostemma is a genus of perennial climbing vines in the cucumber, gourd, and melon family, comprising at least 19 species, all native to the tropical East or Far East, inclusive of the Himalayas: China (with 9 endemic); the islands of Japan; Malaysia; and New Guinea. The term Gynostemma is derived from Ancient Greek γυνή meaning "woman" or "female", and στέμμα meaning "wreath" or "garland". In (post-)classical Latin the form stemma is attested as Greek loanword. In Ancient Greek and Latin, stemma is of neuter gender. German-Dutch botanist Carl Ludwig Blume described Gynostemma from two species he named: G. pedata (later changed, to pedatum) and G. simplicifolia (also later changed, to simplicifolium). Neither species was clearly designated by him as the type; however, the former species, G. pedatum is now considered to be a synonym of G. pentaphyllum . The genus was published in 1825, in Bijdragen tot de flora van Nederlandsch Indië ("Contributions to the flora of Netherlands India").
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General description
All species of Gynostemma have tendrils (usually branching); most are dioecious. The leaves are usually in palmately arrayed leaflets (3–9, ovate-lanceolate in shape), arranged alternately on the stem; a few species are leaved, but without leaflets. Inflorescences are either racemose or paniculate. Fruits can be capsular or pea-like, containing two or three seeds.