Tetrastigma

Tetrastigma is a genus of plants in the grape family, Vitaceae.  The plants are lianas that climb with tendrils and have palmately compound leaves.  The species are found in subtropical and tropical regions of Asia, Malaysia, and Australia, where they grow in primary rainforest, gallery forest and monsoon forest and moister woodland.  Species of this genus are notable as being the sole hosts of parasitic plants in the family Rafflesiaceae, one of which, Rafflesia arnoldii, produces the largest single flower in the world.

Within the Vitaceae, Tetrastigma is most closely related to Cayratia and Cyphostemma.

Fossil record
A fossil seed fragment from the early Miocene of Tetrastigma sp., has been found in the Czech part of the Zittau Basin.
 Tetrastigma macrofossils have been recovered from the late Zanclean stage of Pliocene sites in Pocapaglia,  Italy.

Selected species
 Tetrastigma bracteolatum (Wall.) Planch.
 Tetrastigma harmandii Planch. – Ayo, ariuat, kalit, iyo
 Tetrastigma leucostaphylum (Dennst.) Alston ex Mabb.
 Tetrastigma nitens (F.Muell.) Planch.
 Tetrastigma planicaule (Hook.f.) Gagnep.
 Tetrastigma pubinerve Merr. & Chun
 Tetrastigma serrulatum (Roxb.) Planch.
 Tetrastigma voinierianum (Baltet) Pierre ex Gagnep.
 List sources :

Etymology
Tetrastigma is derived from Greek and means 'four stigmas', in reference to its four-lobed stigma.

References

Category:Vitaceae
Category:Vitaceae genera