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Asian Moonseed
Cocculus orbiculatus
アオツヅラフジ
A deciduous woody climber growing at forest edges and roadsides in mountain fields. In autumn, dark indigo-blue spherical fruits form in clusters, and the seeds inside have a distinctive snail-like shape. Leaf form is highly variable.
Identification Points
- ✓Numerous dark indigo-blue spherical fruits in clusters in autumn
- ✓Seeds characteristically snail-shaped
- ✓Leaves highly variable, from ovate to 3-lobed
Habitat
Forest edges, roadsides, and grasslands in mountain fields
Season
July–August (flowers), October–November (fruit)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Vine
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf dissection
Dissected
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Stipules
Absent
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Ovary position
Superior
Compound type
Ternate
Stamen count
1-2
Phylogenetic Positionツヅラフジ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Basal eudicots > Ranunculales > Menispermaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous (approx. 80 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Menispermaceae belongs to Ranunculales; the snail-shaped seed is a distinctive morphological trait of the family and an important taxonomic marker.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification