Cissus L. is a large genus of woody climbing vines (lianas) in the grape family Vitaceae, placed in tribe Cisseae and order Vitales. Carl Linnaeus established the genus in 1753 in his Species Plantarum (vol. 1, p. 117), applying the name from the Greek kissos (κισσος), meaning "ivy," in reference to the climbing habit shared by many members.
The genus is best known for its twining or tendril-bearing growth form. Most species are woody vines that climb by means of tendrils, though the genus also includes succulent, stem-succulent, and caudiciform members that store water in thickened stems — an adaptation to seasonally dry environments. Some species, such as C. microcarpa, C. pseudosicyoides, and C. rhombifolia, bear extrafloral nectaries on their stipules, structures that attract ants and other insects.
Cissus is distributed across the tropical and subtropical world, with species native to the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, tropical Asia, Papuasia, and Australia. The genus counts among the most species-rich in its family: approximately 350 or more accepted species, though the exact total has shifted with recent revisions — notably the 1980s transfer of large caudiciform species to Cyphostemma and the 2023 segregation of several Australasian and South American lineages into Apocissus.
In English, the genus is commonly called "treebind" or "treebine"; the French name liane aux voyageurs (travellers' vine) reflects its use as a wayside plant, and the Afrikaans wildedruiwe (wild grape) speaks to its family relationship with the cultivated grapevine. Several species have found a place in horticulture: C. discolor is prized for its velvety, silver-mottled leaves and grown in heated greenhouses; C. antarctica is a robust houseplant tolerant of low light; and C. alata is cultivated in tropical gardens. The succulent C. quadrangularis, with its four-angled jointed stems, appears in succulent collections worldwide and has been investigated for medicinal properties.
Etymology
The name Cissus was coined by Carl Linnaeus and derives from the ancient Greek word kissos (κισσος), meaning "ivy." Linnaeus chose this name in allusion to the climbing, vine-like growth habit characteristic of many species in the genus, which parallels the way true ivy clambers over surfaces. Linnaeus applied feminine grammatical gender to species epithets (e.g., C. trifoliata), following the convention for Latin tree names ending in -us.
Distribution
Cissus has a pantropical distribution, with species native to the Americas (from the southern United States and Mexico through Central America and into South America, including significant Amazonian diversity), sub-Saharan Africa (its largest centre of diversity), the Arabian Peninsula, tropical and subtropical Asia (from the Indian subcontinent through Southeast Asia), Papuasia (New Guinea and Pacific islands), and Australia. The genus is essentially absent from temperate regions outside cultivation. Within its range, species occupy a wide variety of habitats, from lowland rainforests and gallery forests to dry woodland margins, savanna edges, and rocky semi-arid terrain where succulent-stemmed species dominate.
Ecology
Cissus species function as important components of tropical forest and woodland edges. As lianas and climbing vines, they exploit established woody vegetation for structural support, reaching the forest canopy where light is more abundant. Several species, including C. microcarpa, C. pseudosicyoides, and C. rhombifolia, produce extrafloral nectaries on their stipules, secreting sugars that attract ants and other insects — a relationship hypothesised to confer some protection from herbivory.
The foliage is a food source for the larvae of at least two tiger moths, Hypercompe eridanus and H. icasia (Lepidoptera: Erebidae). Beyond invertebrates, Cissus leaves are consumed by chimpanzees, suggesting a role in the diet of great apes in African forest regions.
Cultivation
Several Cissus species are in regular cultivation as ornamental climbers and houseplants. Cissus discolor, the rex begonia vine, is grown for its strikingly patterned velvety leaves — deep green with silver markings and a purple underside — and is best suited to heated greenhouses or indoor environments with high humidity. Cissus antarctica (kangaroo vine) is one of the most widely grown houseplant species, valued for its tolerance of low light and irregular watering. Cissus alata is cultivated in tropical gardens and as a container plant.
Succulent-stemmed species such as Cissus quadrangularis appear increasingly in the succulent and xerophyte trade; they are frost-tender and require free-draining conditions. Cissus incisa is also grown as a garden plant in warm climates.
Cultural Uses
Cissus quadrangularis, native to Africa and Asia, has attracted considerable interest for its phytochemical content: the plant contains carotenoids, triterpenoids, and ascorbic acid, and extracts have been investigated for gastroprotective activity and potential effects on lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. It is also consumed as a vegetable in parts of its native range.
Cissus quinquangularis was used historically by the Maasai people of East Africa to alleviate the symptoms of malaria. More broadly, various Cissus species appear in traditional medicine across their range in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, often for bone-healing, anti-inflammatory, or tonic applications, reflecting the genus's common Afrikaans name wildedruiwe (wild grape) and its cousin relationship to the cultivated grapevine.
Taxonomy
Cissus was formally established by Linnaeus in 1753 in Species Plantarum and remains the type genus of tribe Cisseae within Vitaceae. The genus has undergone substantial revision over time. In the 1980s, a suite of large caudiciform African and Malagasy species — those with swollen, water-storing stem bases — were transferred to the segregate genus Cyphostemma. More recently, in 2023, further realignment moved several Australasian and South American species into the newly recognised genus Apocissus, narrowing the circumscription of Cissus again.
Species counts vary by authority: Plants of the World Online (Kew) recognises approximately 279 accepted species, while GBIF lists 417 descendant taxa under the genus (including synonyms and infraspecific taxa), and some general sources cite around 350. The discrepancy reflects ongoing synonymisation work and the 2023 Apocissus transfer.
