slender water vine

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Vitis carnosa
• Cayratia carnosa
• Cayratia trifolia
• Cissus trifolia
• Columella trifolia
• Cissus psoraliifolia
• Cayratia trifolia var. cinerea
• Vitis psoraliifolia
• Vitis trifolia
• Cissus carnosa
• Cissus cinerea

Sources: Wikidata

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. It falls under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Vitales, specifically within the family Vitaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Causonis.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range across several key regions in Asia. Within China, its presence is specifically noted in the South-Central areas. The species is widely distributed throughout the Indian Subcontinent, including major regions such as India and Bangladesh. It can also be found in the unique terrains of Assam and the East Himalaya. Consequently, its habitat spans from the central parts of China to various diverse landscapes across the Indian Subcontinent.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Causonis trifolia is characterized by its preference for specific altitudinal gradients and diverse vegetative environments. This species is typically found within an elevational range spanning from a minimum of 500 m AMSL to a maximum of 1000 m AMSL, with a mean elevation of approximately 750 m AMSL. In terms of habitat, the plant thrives in moisture-rich and disturbed environments, commonly colonizing rain forests, dense secondary shrublands, and various forms of rude-ral vegetation.

Elevational range max:

1000 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

750 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

500 m AMSL

Habitat :

rain forest, dense secondary shrub and ruderal vegetation

Life history

The life history of Causonis trifolia is characterized by its classification as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural growth strategy, the species functions as a phanerophyte, specifically exhibiting characteristics consistent with both phanerophyte and nanophanerophyte life forms, where its reproductive buds are elevated above the ground level.

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Causonis trifolia is characterized by its growth form as a woody, herbaceous forb that functions as an obligatory climbing vine. As a liana, it exhibits a climbing habit that allows it to reach significant heights, typically ranging from a minimum of 0.5 m to a maximum of 5 m. Although it can be found in various environments, its primary ecological classification is terrestrial rather than aquatic or semiaquatic, and it operates as an independent organism rather than a parasite. Furthermore, it is a terrestrial species rather than an epiphyte, maintaining its structural integrity through its woody vine-like stems as it traverses its habitat.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

vine

Climber :

obligatory

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

5 m

Plant height min:

0.5 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Causonis trifolia is characterized by specific morphological dimensions of its foliage that influence its photosynthetic capacity and surface area for transpiration. The leaves exhibit a notable range in size, with a mean leaf length of 4.5 cm, fluctuating between a minimum of 3 cm and a maximum of 6 cm. This longitudinal variation is complemented by a dynamic leaf width, which maintains a mean of 2.75 cm, ranging from a minimum width of 1.5 cm to a maximum width of 4 cm. These structural parameters suggest a flexible adaptive strategy in leaf development, allowing the plant to optimize light interception and gas exchange within its physiological environment.

Leaf length max:

6 cm

Leaf length mean:

4.5 cm

Leaf length min:

3 cm

Leaf width max:

4 cm

Leaf width mean:

2.75 cm

Leaf width min:

1.5 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction of Causonis trifolia is characterized by specific morphological dimensions of its inflorescence and fruiting structures. The inflorescence exhibits a varying length, ranging from a minimum of 0.02 m to a maximum of 0.075 m. The resulting fruits are relatively small and consistent in shape, with a mean length of 0.75 cm and a mean width of 0.75 cm; specifically, fruit length ranges from a minimum of 0.7 cm to a maximum of 0.8 cm, while fruit width ranges from a minimum of 0.7 cm to a maximum of 0.8 cm. The seeds produced during this reproductive process show notable variation in mass, with a mean seed mass of 0.01879 g, a minimum mass of 0.0131 g, and a maximum mass of 0.02448 g.

Fruit length max:

0.8 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.75 cm

Fruit length min:

0.7 cm

Fruit width max:

0.8 cm

Fruit width mean:

0.75 cm

Fruit width min:

0.7 cm

Inflorescence length max:

0.075 m

Inflorescence length min:

0.02 m

Seed mass max:

0.02448 g

Seed mass mean:

0.01879 g

Seed mass min:

0.0131 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Causonis trifolia has 2 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root.

Leaf

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine

Root

1. Indian journal of clinical biochemistry : IJCB

Chemicals

Causonis trifolia has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Epifriedelanol.

Epifriedelanol

1. Fitoterapia

Preparations

Causonis trifolia has 4 reported preparations identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include crude ethanol extracts, ethanolic extract, ethanolic root extract, three-leaf cayratia wine.

Crude ethanol extracts

1. Molecular medicine reports

Ethanolic extract

1. Indian journal of clinical biochemistry : IJCB

Ethanolic root extract

1. Indian journal of clinical biochemistry : IJCB

Three-leaf cayratia wine

1. F1000Research