Kadsura is a genus of woody climbing vines in the family Schisandraceae, placed in the order Schisandales. The genus was described in 1810 and currently comprises around 17 accepted species, all native to eastern, southern, and southeastern Asia. Species range across China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and broader Indochina, the Indian subcontinent, and the Malesian archipelago including Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and the Philippines.
As twining lianas, Kadsura species bear simple alternate leaves and small, often solitary flowers that are either staminate or pistillate. The fruits are distinctive fleshy aggregates of berries arranged on an elongated receptacle, superficially resembling those of the closely related genus Schisandra. The genus is divided into subgenera and sections reflecting morphological and geographic variation: subgenus Cosbaea covers species in southern China and northern Indochina, while subgenus Kadsura is further split into section Kadsura and section Sarcocarpon, the latter concentrated in Malesia.
Kadsura and Schisandra are the two genera of Schisandraceae, a family of early-diverging angiosperms. Several species once placed in Kadsura — including K. chinensis, K. grandiflora, and K. propinqua — have been reclassified into Schisandra following modern phylogenetic reassessment. The best-known member is Kadsura japonica, a cultivated ornamental valued for its red berry clusters in autumn.
Distribution
Kadsura is native to eastern, southern, and southeastern Asia. Species occur across China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Indochina, the Indian subcontinent, and Malesia — including Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Maluku, and the Philippines.
Taxonomy Notes
Kadsura and Schisandra are the two genera of Schisandraceae (order Schisandales). The genus is divided into subgenus Cosbaea and subgenus Kadsura (the latter with sections Kadsura and Sarcocarpon). Several species formerly assigned to Kadsura — K. chinensis, K. grandiflora, and K. propinqua — have been transferred to Schisandra based on molecular phylogenetic evidence.
