Cissus hypoglauca, commonly known as Jungle Grape, Water Vine or Five leaf Water Vine, is a common Australian Vine. It is one of the better known climbing plants of the genus Cissus

Cissus

Cissus is a genus of approximately 350 species of woody vines in the grape family . They have a cosmopolitan distribution, though the majority are to be found in the tropics. In Tamil they are known as pirandai .-Medicinal:...

in the grape

Vitaceae

Vitaceae are a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants including the grapevine and Virginia creeper. The family name is derived from the genus Vitis...

 family. A very common climber in moist areas of eastern Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, it often colonises large areas after forest damage due to storms, fire or logging.

It was initially described in 1854 by American botanist Asa Gray

Asa Gray

-References:*Asa Gray. Dictionary of American Biography. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928–1936.*Asa Gray. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.*Asa Gray. Plant Sciences. 4 vols. Macmillan Reference USA, 2001....

.

Description

Cissus hypoglauca is a large woody vine. The name water-vine comes from the fact that the woody sections of the vine may be cut into sections and the sap that drips from the sections may be drunk as water. The leaves are palmate, and are usually arranged in a group of five. Leaves elliptic or ovate in shape, slightly toothed or entire. Mid green above and a glaucous

Glaucous

Glaucous is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the Glaucous Gull , Glaucous-winged Gull , Glaucous Macaw , and Glaucous...

 shade underneath, and measure 3 to 15 cm (1-6 in) long, 1.5 to 4 cm (0.6-1.6 in) wide. The young leaves are reddish and hairy. Tendril

Tendril

In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape that is used by climbing plants for support, attachment and cellular invasion by parasitic plants, generally by twining around suitable hosts. They do not have a lamina or blade, but they can photosynthesize...

s appear opposite the leaf stalk.

Yellow flowers occur on terminal umbel

Umbel

An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....

s, mostly in spring and summer. A purple globose fruit matures in the middle of the year. Five leaf Water Vine provides abundant food and shelter for birds and small animals. The stunning blue berries may be eaten raw and provide a delicious watery snack but do leave an acrid aftertaste that can be slightly irritating.