Cissus verticillata (L.) Nicolson & Jarvis, Vitaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 12 (Go to the risk assessment).

Other Latin names:  Cissus micrantha Poir.; Cissus sicyoides L.; Viscum verticillatum L.; Vitis sicyoides (L.) Miq.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: princessvine, seasonvine

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Often a very large, woody vine, frequently climbing over tall trees, the stems thick and tough, very flexible; leaves simple, on long or short petioles, oblong-ovate to rounded-ovate, often very asymmetric, 4-16 cm long, obtuse to acuminate, rounded to cordate at the base, coarsely or finely serrate, usually densely pubescent but sometimes almost glabrous; cymes small or large, pedunculate, usually dense and shorter than the opposing leaves, sometimes lax and open, pubescent; flowers green or yellowish green; fruit globose-obovoid, black at maturity, 1-seeded, about 6 mm long in the dry state.  It exhibits a great deal of variation in pubescence and leaf form, as a result of which numerous varieties have been named"  (Standley & Steyermark, 1949; pp. 298-299).

Habitat/ecology:  In Guatemala (native), "common or abundant in dry to wet thickets and forest, 1,200 meters or less"  (Standley & Steyermark, 1949; pp. 298-299).

Propagation:  Seed and rooting from stems and branches.  "The plant emits many long aerial roots that dangle loosely from the tree branches or sometimes strike root in the ground.  If the main stem is cut, the upper part of the plant continues to grow"  (Standley & Steyermark, 1949; pp. 298-299).

Native range:  Florida (U.S.) and the Caribbean; Mexico to Chile and Argentina (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex (2012) (pp. 48-49) Vouchers cited: C. Trauernicht & M. Clark 192 (BISH), A. lau & D. Frohlich 2010022305 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1986) (voucher ID: BISH 599075) Taxon name on voucher: Cissus verticillata (L.) Nicolson & Jarvis
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex (2012) (pp. 48-49) Vouchers cited: D. Orr s.n. (BISH 726216), D. Frohlich, A. Lau, K. Starr & F. Starr 0608101 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1973) (voucher ID: BISH 403176) Taxon name on voucher: Cissus verticillata (L.) Nicolson & Jarvis

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Cissus verticillata is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Cissus verticillata as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Cissus verticillata may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 1973. Voucher specimen #BISH403176(Ishikawa, S. 310).

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 1986. Voucher specimen #BISH599075(Flynn, T. 1933).

Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex. 2012. New plant records for the Hawaiian Islands 2010-2011. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2011. Part II: Plants. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 113:27-54.

Standley, Paul C./Steyermark, Julian A. 1949. Flora of Guatemala. Fieldiana: Botany. Vol. 24, Part VI. Chicago Natural History Museum. 440 pp.

U. S. Government. 2011. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.