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Moonseed family
Menispermaceae
ツヅラフジ科
A family dominated by woody climbers including Sinomenium and Cocculus, with about 70 genera and 400 species mainly in the tropics and subtropics. Rich in alkaloids, some species are known as the source of curare (arrow poison).
Key Characteristics
- ●Predominantly woody climbers
- ●Leaves simple, alternate, sometimes peltate
- ●Flowers small, trimerous
- ●Dioecious
- ●Drupes with characteristically horseshoe-shaped seeds
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple / Compound
Venation
Pinnate / Palmate
Leaf margin
Entire
Growth form
Shrub / Tree / Vine / Herb
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Compound type
Ternate
Leaf dissection
Dissected / Undivided
Stipules
Absent
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Petal count
3 petals / 4 petals
Ovary position
Superior
Stamen count
1-2
Plant sex
Dioecious / Monoecious
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Basal eudicots > Ranunculales > Menispermaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous (approx. 80 million years ago)
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Evolution of diverse alkaloid biosynthesis pathways (curare components, tetrandrine, etc.)
- ・Diversification centered in the tropics with expansion into temperate regions
Plants in Moonseed family on this site
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