Cocculus

Vines, twining or clambering. Stems green, apically tomentose grading to pilose or glabrate on older portions. Leaves not peltate. Leaf blade generally ovate to hastate or oblong, base cordate, truncate, or rounded, margins entire, apex mucronate; surfaces soft-pubescent or glabrous. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, racemes or racemose panicles; bracts minute (bracteoles). Flowers 3-ranked; sepals 6-9, ovate to elliptic or obovate, outer sepals glabrous or pilose to sparsely pilose abaxially, inner sepals glabrous; petals 6, free. Staminate flowers: petals to 2 mm, auriculate lobes at base inflexed over 6 stamens; filaments distinct; anthers 4-locular; pistillodes 36 or absent, glandular. Pistillate flowers: perianth similar to staminate; staminodes 6, poorly developed; pistils 6; ovary slightly asymmetrically pouched, glabrous; stigma entire. Drupes globose, glabrous; endocarp bony, depressed but not excavate, warty, ribbed. x = 13.

Distribution

Temperate regions, North America, Mexico, Asia, Africa.

Discussion

Species 11 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Cocculus carolinus, Cocculus diversifolius

Key

1	Stems with spreading pubescence; leaf blade typically ovate, occasionally sagittate or hastate, abaxially pubescent; sepals of outer series pubescent; drupes red.	Cocculus carolinus
1	Stems with appressed pubescence; leaf blade typically oblong, sometimes basally lobed, abaxially glabrous; sepals of outer series glabrous; drupes black.	Cocculus diversifolius