Treebine
Cissus carnosa
Family: Vitaceae
What it is like
A climbing shrub. It grows 3-5 m high. The branches are slender and have furrows along them. The leaves are compound. There are 3 leaflets. These are broadly oval. The leaves are fleshy. They are 1.5-3.5 cm long by 1.2-2.5 cm wide. The middle leaflet is longer. The leaf stalk is 1.5-3 cm long. It has tendrils which are thin like a hair and branched. The flower head is 4-5 cm wide. It can be in the axils of leaves or at the ends of branches. The flowers have petals 2 mm long. The fruit is a round berry. It is flattened at both ends. It is 1.5-2 cm across. It is shiny black when ripe. There are 3-4 seeds. These are triangular and wrinkled. They are 3-4 mm across.
There are about 200-350 Cissus species. There are about 75 species in tropical America.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It is commonly found along roadsides and in scrub.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, India, Indochina, Pakistan, SE Asia, Thailand
How it is used for food
The green fruit is blanched then added to foods to give a bitter flavour to hot sauces.
It is sold in markets.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Thao khan